What truthful play, BAM?
The Star On-line
Sunday Might 22, 2011
COMMENT
By RAJES PAUL
FAIRNESS and truthful 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 benefit. And to not point out sourcing for their very own funds to compete within the qualifying tournaments.
Their place as a substitute 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 effectively, regardless of not being as privileged as their fully-funded BAM counterparts, to complete sixteenth on the earth – simply 12 rungs behind high 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 in the dead of night 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 combat for his or her proper.
Hopefully, their plight will assist BAM proper the unsuitable of their choice course of.
Though BAM secretary and training and coaching committee chairman Ng Chin Chai stood by their determination to drop Teik Chai-Bin Shen, not less than he conceded that their choice processes might be improved.
Chin Chai had additionally mentioned that the choice was achieved in one of the best curiosity of the nation.
What he, and the entire of BAM, fail to grasp is that their motion smacks of high-handedness and unfairness.
Received’t Teik Chai-Bin Shen be representing Malaysia in London? After all they may.
Received’t they go all out to carry glory, honour and fame for the nation? After all they may.
For goodness sake, they earned the appropriate to compete in London.
So, what’s the downside?
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 determination 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 need to be truthful to their present set of gamers in addition to these exterior of their steady. In any case, these gamers have sacrificed quite a bit for the sport.
It’s BAM’s duty to maintain these former gamers.
They need to preserve a great relationship with the gamers, even after they go away the nationwide set-up.
This can 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 establishing of badminton academies.
BAM did effectively to rent former high ladies’s singles shuttler Wong Mew Choo because the Bukit Jalil Sports activities Faculty (BJSS) coach.
However extra than simply retaining them inside the 4 partitions of the BAM, it could do a world of excellent to the picture of Malaysian sport if BAM can proceed to help their gamers lengthy after they’ve left the nationwide physique.
