What honest play, BAM?
The Star On-line
Sunday Might 22, 2011
COMMENT
By RAJES PAUL
FAIRNESS and honest play are guidelines sportsmen and sportswomen the world over abide by.
Attempt telling that to the Badminton Affiliation of Malaysia (BAM), who unceremonously dropped former internationals Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen from the World Championships in London from Aug 8-14.
That is regardless of the duo, sponsored by Apacs and KL Rackets, having labored their socks off to qualify on advantage. And to not point out sourcing for their very own funds to compete within the qualifying tournaments.
Their place as an alternative went to Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Hoon Thien How, with BAM giving a myriad of excuses to justify their transfer.
Say what you need, however Teik Chai-Bin Shen fought the race nicely, regardless of not being as privileged as their fully-funded BAM counterparts, to complete sixteenth on this planet – simply 12 rungs behind prime shuttlers Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and much forward of the opposite elite and back-up shuttlers.
And what did BAM do? They saved Teik Chai-Bin Shen at the hours of darkness about their participation till the eleventh hour earlier than dropping the bombshell on them.
It was just too late for Teik Chai-Bin Shen to battle for his or her proper.
Hopefully, their plight will assist BAM proper the flawed of their choice course of.
Though BAM secretary and training and coaching committee chairman Ng Chin Chai stood by their resolution to drop Teik Chai-Bin Shen, a minimum of he conceded that their choice processes might be improved.
Chin Chai had additionally stated that the choice was executed in the very best curiosity of the nation.
What he, and the entire of BAM, fail to know is that their motion smacks of high-handedness and unfairness.
Gained’t Teik Chai-Bin Shen be representing Malaysia in London? After all they are going to.
Gained’t they go all out to deliver glory, honour and fame for the nation? After all they are going to.
For goodness sake, they earned the best to compete in London.
So, what’s the drawback?
Does a badminton participant turns into much less of a Malaysian and fewer patriotic if he doesn’t come below the BAM banner?
What makes BAM’s resolution all of the extra puzzling is the inclusion of veteran singles shuttler Wong Choon Hann for the world meet.
The BAM may have dropped Choong Hann and named Liew Daren or Goh Quickly Huat for the singles occasion, proper?
No, they admitted that the 34-year-old professional was nonetheless the higher guess in comparison with any of their very own gamers.
Inconsistency in BAM’s decision-making course of will solely make gamers query the nationwide physique’s actions.
Is favouritism and biasness prevalent within the system?, they could ask.
BAM must be honest to their present set of gamers in addition to these exterior of their steady. In spite of everything, these gamers have sacrificed quite a bit for the sport.
It’s BAM’s accountability to handle these former gamers.
They need to preserve a superb relationship with the gamers, even after they go away the nationwide set-up.
This may present a win-win scenario whereby the BAM can faucet into their wealth of expertise whereas the previous gamers can have the nationwide physique’s blessings to compete in tournaments and within the organising of badminton academies.
BAM did nicely to rent former prime ladies’s singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo because the Bukit Jalil Sports activities Faculty (BJSS) coach.
However extra than simply retaining them throughout the 4 partitions of the BAM, it might do a world of fine to the picture of Malaysian sport if BAM can proceed to help their gamers lengthy after they’ve left the nationwide physique.