Two more female foreign-born players quit SBA

[Loh]

I'm extremely sad to read from today's tabloid, "Today" that China-born Gu Juan and the taller Zhang Beiwen have quit the National team because of purported biased treatment from their Chinese coach.

These two girls were talent scouted and came to Singapore when they were around 13 years of age. After 5 years of training and development, now they decided to leave. I'm sure they can help Singapore gain a final berth in the next Uber Cup now that they have blossomed at 18 and have international exposure and some creditable individual results. So it is very sad that they should leave at this stage.

I certainly hope something can be done to redress the situation and enable congenial conditions to return to SBA for our talented girls to change their minds. They are still young and can contribute to Singapore's attempts to make a name in the badminton world.



Today
Friday, October 10, 2008

S’pore’s badminton future takes a hit, as Gu and Zhang do a Li Li


By Low Lin Fhoong

NINE months ago, Singapore’s No 1 female shuttler Li Li sent shockwaves through the local badminton fraternity when she quit the sport, citing fatigue.
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The 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medallist (women’s singles) was a member of Project 0812, a $7-million government initiative to help athletes achieve medal success at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and/or the 2012 London Games.
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Since Li Li quit earlier this year, Singapore’s female shuttlers have failed to perform on the international stage.
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At the Beijing Games in August, Xing Aiying crashed out of the women’s singles after losing 2-0 to Belarus’ Olga Konon in the round of 64, while Jiang Yanmei and Li Yujia were beaten 2-0 by Korea’s Lee Hyo Jung and Lee Kyung Won in their women’s doubles quarter-final.
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Now, the women’s squad have taken another hit.
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Today understands that shuttlers Zhang Beiwen and Gu Juan left the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) in April and July, respectively. The two players, who are both 18 years old, were part of the 10-member youth team — consisting of five boys and five girls — who beat Malaysia to win an historic bronze for Singapore at the 2007 World Junior Championships in New Zealand last October.
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Gu was also a member of the silver-medal winning women’s team at last December’s SEA Games in Korat, Thailand.
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Where to from here?
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According to sources, Gu has returned to China to further her studies, while Zhang’s whereabouts remain unknown.
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Graduates of the Foreign Sports Talent Scheme, the two players had received their citizenship in May last year, but quit the sport after disagreements with the women’s singles chief coach, Wang Junjie.
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“The athletes felt the coach was only concentrating on Li Li and Aiying, and felt neglected,” an SBA source told Today. .

The women’s team will defend their silver medal at the 2009 SEA Games in Laos next year, and reaching the SBA’s target of a finals spot in the 2012 Uber Cup could prove a challenge for the shuttlers.
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“I think there will be a vacuum in the succession of players,” added the source.
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“They will not be doing as well as the 2007 SEA Games ... and unless SBA are able to bring in champions, there is no way they can succeed in both the women’s team and individual events.”
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SBA president and Minister of State for Trade and Industry Lee Yi Shyan neither confirmed nor denied the departure of Gu and Zhang when contacted yesterday.
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“It suffices to say that SBA attaches great importance to players’ training and development, and building up a pipeline for succession,” said Lee.
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“Whenever we are able to recruit strong players to the national team, our team get strengthened. Whenever we lose them or are not able to groom the younger ones in time to take over, our team would not be at the peak.
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“Our immediate objective is to prepare for the 2012 Olympics, while taking seriously the SEA Games next year and other key tournaments between now and then to mature our team.”
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Despite media reports that Li Li, 25, could return to the SBA at the end of the year, the association could not confirm the news when contacted, stating that it was not SBA’s policy to discuss individual players’ training and selection.

[zzz...]

i feel that SBA really need a major restructuring. it has been going downhill after winning the commnwealth game. may be to many politics rather than working towards winning.

[limsy]

so...where will they go???quit baddy???

[Maz]

Oh that's disappointing to hear. I saw Gu Juan at the World Juniors last year and she has a wonderful personality. Love those smiles on court when things are going good or bad!

[george@chongwei]

maybe they will come to represent MALAYSIA

[Dato A]

maybe they will come to represent MALAYSIA

We dont need FOREIGN TALENTS......

[cooler]

We dont need FOREIGN TALENTS......

how about rexy

[limsy]

maybe they will come to represent MALAYSIA

how about rexy

cooler...do rexy REPRESENT malaysia???...............

[cooler]

cooler...do rexy REPRESENT malaysia???...............

i guess not, rexy is not a boleh guy.

[chris-ccc]

I certainly hope something can be done to redress the situation and enable congenial conditions to return to SBA for our talented girls to change their minds.

Since Li Li quit earlier this year, Singapore’s female shuttlers have failed to perform on the international stage.

Despite media reports that Li Li, 25, could return to the SBA at the end of the year, the association could not confirm the news when contacted, stating that it was not SBA’s policy to discuss individual players’ training and selection.

.
Loh ... From this thread so far, I'm extremely sad to read that we can get treated differently just because we are born in different countries.

Gu Juan and Zhang Beiwen could make it BIG... because they are both talented players.

Hope that Li Li could return to SBA at the end of 2008 too.


.

[kimir]

Despite media reports that Li Li, 25, could return to the SBA at the end of the year, the association could not confirm the news when contacted, stating that it was not SBA’s policy to discuss individual players’ training and selection.

Li Li to return? as a sparring partner or player?

surprised that sba would want her back after she 'quit' the national squad just before the olympics. in any case her performance in recent tournaments before she quit were rather poor

[Loh]

Oh that's disappointing to hear. I saw Gu Juan at the World Juniors last year and she has a wonderful personality. Love those smiles on court when things are going good or bad!

I totally agree with you Maz and I'm really sad and mad! Gu's frequent smile is amazing and it took us so far, 5 long years to develop them into what they are....oh dear!

In fact Zhang, being taller, could turn out to be a better player. I've seen both of them grow and have high hopes in them.

Undoubtedly Xing Aiying got most of the limelight because of her international victories and perhaps because of this, the Chinese coach showered her greater attention. But the other two girls in question, including Fu, are potential winners as well. Together with doubles specialists, Yao Lei and Sari, they form the bulwark of Singapore's women's team for the future.

Changing a coach is much easier than producing more creditable trainees for Singapore. This makes things much more difficult and extremely unproductive. Again I hope somebody can save the situation now that so many changes seem to be happening all at once with the SBA.

[Iwan]

Btw, I heard the old Mr Zheng Qingjin is back in SBA again It's amazing how he can leave just about a year ago with issues and still be back there again. Sad~

[Maz]

Changing a coach is much easier than producing more creditable trainees for Singapore. This makes things much more difficult and extremely unproductive. Again I hope somebody can save the situation now that so many changes seem to be happening all at once with the SBA.

Look, if either of them would like to pursue both studies and badminton here in Sydney, I'll open my arms for them! That way, their talents aren't wasted...hehe

[Loh]

Btw, I heard the old Mr Zheng Qingjin is back in SBA again It's amazing how he can leave just about a year ago with issues and still be back there again. Sad~

It is also quite shocking to me as well that this can happen in Singapore. Maybe the new leadership in SBA believes in giving second chances.

[zzz...]

I hope the new SBA chairman is not "sabo" by his staff by hiring this guy And hope he don't loose his position because of all these happening in SBA.

[gitee]

.
Loh ... From this thread so far, I'm extremely sad to read that we can get treated differently just because we are born in different countries.

Gu Juan and Zhang Beiwen could make it BIG... because they are both talented players.

Hope that Li Li could return to SBA at the end of 2008 too.


.

Well, certainly hope not for Li Li to rejoin. Heard that she quit because she could not take the tough training of the coach. Which coach, like Rexy, would spend his own hours to train you if he is not passionate and not hoping for you to get results uh ?

Also heard that Zhang Beiwen, the bad mouth who always uttered vulgar expletives not beffitting a Singaporean refined way, also liked to laze. The only exercise she did during training was to exercise her mouth, much to the angry-ness of her coach Wang. Needless to say, she was often scolded by the coach. So tak boleh tahan, she left the association. No joke uh ...she showed her middle finger at the Thai team during the Uber Cup qualifying tournament in Ho chi minh, after her match as the Thai supporters were too noisy supporting their player. The Thai players told someone.

The Gu, though she did well in junior tournaments, she is too katik (short). She not likely progress far. She also lazy at fitness but I think she competition smart.