BAM Stresses Discipline Amid Player Misconduct Issues

KUALA LUMPUR, June 6 (Bernama) — The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Council today reaffirmed the importance of discipline, professionalism and accountability among national shuttlers following disciplinary issues involving several players.

BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz said the emphasis was critical to ensuring every player possesses the right mindset for the continued growth and development of Malaysian badminton.

He revealed that disciplinary issues identified so far involved players from both the senior and junior squads, although the national governing body has chosen not to publicly disclose the identities of those concerned.

“If possible, we do not want to reveal their names, but if you notice a player is not participating in a tournament, it may be because disciplinary action is being taken against him,” he said after chairing the BAM Council meeting here today.

According to him, among the firm measures decided upon was a requirement for all national players to reside at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) hostel, except for those who are married.

He explained that any BAM player who refuses to comply with the directive without a valid reason will not be allowed to participate in any international tournament.

Asked about the players’ reaction to the directive, he said the majority welcomed the decision, although a small number had expressed disagreement.

“Only two or three players disagreed for certain reasons, but after reviewing the matter, we found that the reasons given were not sufficiently strong. Unless there are compelling issues such as medical problems or the need to care for sick parents, they are required to return to the hostel,” he stressed.

He added that BAM would not hesitate to take drastic action, including dropping players from the national squad, if they fail to show improvement in their attitude or repeat offences in the future.

Meanwhile, BAM Performance Committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei said the policy requiring players to reside at the ABM hostel retains an element of flexibility and is not intended to completely restrict athletes' freedom.

He said players are allowed to leave the academy daily for personal matters but are required to return to the hostel by 10.30 pm.

He explained that on Saturdays and Sundays, players are permitted to return home to spend time with their families before resuming training.

“And if they have an event, I think they can inform us if they are returning late because they have a dinner function or are receiving an award,” he told reporters after the BAM Council meeting.

He drew comparisons with badminton powerhouses such as China, South Korea and Japan, which impose much stricter disciplinary systems on their national athletes.

He also said that top national men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao had been issued a final warning over disciplinary issues raised by the coaching team through training reports.

The badminton legend stressed that if such issues recur, BAM would not hesitate to ask any player involved to “pack their bags” and leave the association immediately.

-- BERNAMA