PETALING JAYA: The decision by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to not register Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei for any international tournaments for two years is excessive, the MCA Youth said today.
It called for all quarters should cast aside their differences and try to communicate and negotiate with each other to reach the best solution.
“With the involvement of the relevant quarters, the aim of any negotiation would be to achieve a win-win outcome that maximises the interests of Lee Zii Jia, Goh Jin Wei and our beloved nation,” its spokesman Chua Hock Kuan said in a statement.
“Zii Jia and Jin Wei were nurtured in Malaysia for many years. Thus, it is inappropriate for BAM to deprive both of them of international competitions for 2 years as such a ban will seriously affect their development and future.”
Chaus aid the decision is unwise for BAM and could even affect its image. Likewise, frustration could envelop the morale of players who remain with the national team, he pointed out.
“BAM should focus on solving the problems between both sides to prevent the situation from escalating resulting with further aspersions cast on the badminton governing body,” he said.
“Experience from the Youth and Sports Ministry has revealed that the most important quality among athletes is discipline. Even if either Zii Jia and Jin Wei want to turn fully professional and be self-funded, if they possess good self-discipline, why should they not be allowed to represent Malaysia?
“The lifespan of an athlete is very important and precious. Other world champions like Viktor Axelsen or Kento Momota are already 28 and 27 years old respectively. Meanwhile Zii Jia is 23 years of age this year and has only a few years to go to be at his peak. Prohibiting him now for two years is equivalent to killing his career in sports and development as a full-time sportsperson.”
He urged BAM and the affected players need to have a dialogue with each other calmly and rationally to reach the best solution.
