KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has opened its doors to independent players — mixed doubles pair Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying and women’s singles shuttler Soniia Cheah — to join centralised training camp at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara.
BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said the association welcomes the Olympics-bound players to train together under one roof for the Tokyo Olympics in July, after their training was halted by restrictions on sporting activities due to the movement control order (MCO).
“I am happy to welcome these experienced professional players to our facility for the glory of our beloved country, Malaysia. It is my hope that they will be able to train well together and at the same time, build the esprit de corps among them.
“When we reach Tokyo, there are no BAM or professional players, just a united group of shutters playing for the pride and glory of Jalur Gemilang,” he said in a statement today.
Only non-contact sports activities like running and cycling in open areas are allowed under the MCO, which has also forced national athletes preparing for the Olympics and 2021 SEA Games to go back into quarantine-based training camps.
BAM said any other independent players that qualify for Tokyo before the June 15 deadline will be invited to join centralised training in ABM.
Mohamad Norza said all players should adhere to the standard operating procedures throughout the quarantine-based training.
Earlier, some independent shuttlers had lamented on the difficulty in continuing with their training for the Olympics following the latest round of MCO. — Bernama
