...and the exodus continues! Here is a national Association for what is probably the most important sport in the country, leading up to the OG 2012, and the procession of players who have been opting out of BAM is just going on and on. Something is very, very wrong here. Zakry and Fairuzizuan decide to become independent players Read the full report here: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2011/8/21/sports/9341516&sec=sports Excerpt: PETALING JAYA: Two of the longest serving doubles players Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari have left the national badminton team. It was revealed at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) exco meeting last night that Zakry and Fairuzizuan have left the national elite squad after 15 years of service.
Totally agree! He's earning himself quite a reputation. One that isn't complimentary to rational reasoning.
http://ssdhaliwal.blogspot.com/2011/08/talk-to-clubs-minister.html Excerpts: Players leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will only make it more difficult to find new talent of the calibre of Datuk Lee Chong Wei, said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek. He said the situation (exodus from BAM) put the ministry in a dilemma as to whether to continue funding BAM or invest directly in the players who opted to leave the main badminton body in the country. ...Meanwhile, commenting on suggestions by Chong Wei, the world number one men's singles player, that more back up players be given overseas exposure like what China was doing, Ahmad Shabery said this entailed a huge cost and that the private sector would have to come in to ensure the success of such a programme.
Some comments from readers of Malay mail : http://www.mmail.com.my/content/80810-players-leaving-bam-bane-badminton-ahmad-shabery#comments
We can conclude that BAM is going in the wrong direction . What I see is MAS players and coaches are trying hardest to raise the standard of Badminton in Malaysia. BAM committee members are only there to criticise them (players and coaches) when they fail. Surely, we can conclude that BAM is going in the wrong direction. If the BAM committee people do not wake up to realise the reasons why more and more of their world class players are leaving the association, and BAM are to continue with their current way of management, I won't be surprised BAM will collapse soon (at a time as an association with leaders, but without followers). .
Errr...I woon't go that far to them 'leader'...more like idiots....and BAM won't collapse till the last ringgit of the RM12M loot has been squandered.
[h=1]Kim Her to make final changes to men’s doubles line-up[/h][h=2]By RAJES PAUL[/h] Full report: http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2011/8/31/sports/9400815&sec=sports PETALING JAYA: National back-up coach Tan Kim Her is ready to make changes to the men’s doubles line-up – one he hopes will be the last for this year. Kim Her said that constant changes to the partnerships would slow down the progress of the men’s doubles department. ....Those training under Kim Her are Goh Wei Shem-Lim Khim Wah, Tan Wee Kiong, Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming, Pang Zheng Lin-Yew Hong Kheng, Tan Wee Tat-Tan Jip Jiun, Teo Kok Siang and Chan Peng Soon. For now, only Wei Shem-Khim Wah are assured of being retained as a pair. “We have to put a lot of thought into deciding the pairs. We cannot keep on changing the pairs all the time. I will meet with Rexy, Kenny Goh (general manager) and Ng Chin Chai (secretary) to come out with the best line-up,” said Kim Her. “Thien How is now without a partner and we have to find a suitable one for him.” Kim Her said that Wei Shem-Khim Wah could be the only pair to join Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong in making the cut for next year’s London Olympic Games. “This back-up pair can make it to the London Games if they continue to steadily improve their game. The others have the potential but time is against them following all the changes in the men’s doubles line-up,” said Kim Her.
Is Razif back? Former badminton ace in hot seat to coach doubles team at KLRC Haresh Deol Monday, September 5th, 2011 06:52:00 Full story: http://mmail.com.my/content/81416-razif-back Excerpts: PETALING JAYA: The focus was supposed to be on Fairuzizuan Tazari and Zakry Abdul Latif announcing their partnership with KLRC. Instead, many were fixated with former national badminton ace Razif Sidek. As Razif joined BA of Malaysia (BAM) high-performance director Datuk James Selvaraj at the KLRC Hari Raya open house yesterday, speculation was rife that the former doubles expert could be coaching the doubles team at KLRC. ..."I'm here to help Fairuzizuan and Zakry. I could play an advisory role or follow the players for tournaments... it all depends on what KLRC and the players want." Razif is no stranger to the coaching scene. He guided Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock to win the silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Sadly, he did not see eye to eye with BAM then and left the stable. He tried to make a comeback within the national body but failed. "They (BAM) don't want to understand me... but it's okay," he said.
Rexy to coach women’s and mixed doubles departments http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2011/9/9/sports/9456548&sec=sports Here are some excerpts: So... Rexy Mainaky needs to "prove himself?" As a coach? How interesting!! Hmmm. "Massive structural change." Rings a bell. Isn't that what they (the all-powerful CTC) attempted just about a year ago? So, does it mean that the earlier "structural change" didn't work, so lets try something else? That's right, NCC. Spread the responsibility in case something else goes wrong! Smart move! Do exactly what you had in mind: marginalize coaches with strong following or strong opinions, and institute coaches who can be easily manipulated if necessary. And claim it is from considered feedback. Brilliant move. The question is: will this make Malaysian badminton stronger? Or weaker? I have a question: How can a top, strong, world class player get better (or better prepared for the OG2012) by sparring more with local or GP or GPG level talent?
if want money from corporate world must also give more power to corporate world mah! which guy willing to give millions to You and has no Say in the running & usage of the $$$ If u wan ppl to spend money, must give ppl Power To decide mah...
Here's an interesting post on SS Dhaliwal's blog... http://ssdhaliwal.blogspot.com/2011/09/bam-scared-of-it-own-shadow.html Reproduced below: BAM SCARED OF IT'S OWN SHADOW It is clearly a case of high handedness on the part of BAM officials as they have shown that they are masters of shifting goalposts. While the case of Gan Teik Chai and Tan Bin Shen is still in the process of mediation thus making it sub judice to discuss it, the decision by the C&T Committee, which mind you is the all powerful body of BAM- even higher then the Council, will leave readers baffled and realize what the true intentions of BAM are. For effective now, independent players who come to spar at BAM cannot be accompanied by their coaches or trainers, meaning that if you are invited to someone's house, you are not allowed to bring along anyone else, not even your parents. The rationale that this BAM official put forward is that it creates uneasiness. Well if Malaysians start to treat fellow Malaysians in such a manner, then we might as well throw the 1 Malaysia concept out. And the best is saved for the last, for any player not in good standing with BAM ( read straight and not in between the lines ), he will not be allowed to spar at BAM. Get the message! Well it is clear that these two officials have shown that the adage in the interest of the nation is pure bull for it's their and their henchmen interest that comes first. So much for talking about working alongside to help badminton when it's obvious cementing their position is more vital then everything else. Well the whole world is getting rid of dictators but in Malaysia we have some wanna be dictators in the making.
From Haresh Deol's (Malay Mail) blogspot, datelined Friday, September 9. http://hareshdeol.blogspot.com/2011/09/rexy-will-sleep-in-malaysia.html Excerpts: James Selvaraj, meanwhile, will continue serving as the high performance director on a voluntary basis until a suitable candidate is hired on a full time basis - hopefully by the end of the year. What about Razif Sidek who was seen coaching at Juara Stadium recently? Apparently he was told not to make his presence felt at the courts - politely. SS Dhaliwal believes such was done as BAM is afraid of its own shadow as seen here.
What I am going to say may sound I am on bam side. Anyway, if I do, to hell with it I can only find one reason why independent players' coaches are not allowed inside sparring sessions. imagine those noises from them coaching/motivating the players during the sparrings obviously, a lot from the other side will feel uneasy
Courtesy of The Star : Another change and hopefully the local coaches can deliver Comment by RAJES PAUL THE Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have come out with a new coaching and training structure – yet again. The changes to the training set-up look good. But it’s the major tweaking among the coaching staff that has raised some questions. Let’s look at the changes to the training set-up first. On Friday, the coaching and training committee, led by BAM secre*tary Ng Chin Chai, announced that there would no longer be two different squads – elite and back-up – for the men’s singles and doubles departments. The singles department will now be headed by Rashid Sidek and the doubles by Tan Kim Her. Under the previous structure, the back-up and elite shuttlers only practised together three times a week and the coaches would chart their own training programmes for their own players. That did little to narrow the gulf in standard between the elite and back-up shuttlers. The idea of “divide-and-rule” was to create a healthy rivalry bet*ween the coaches and players. But all the fragile structure did was create discord in the team. Coaches became suspicious of one another while the back-up play*ers were demoralised after be**ing treated as mere sparring partners. Malaysia have been practically scrapping the bottom of the barrel in terms of men’s singles talent, with none emerging and reaching the standard set by world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei over the last 10 years. Five years have been wasted following the flop of the Project back-up squad formed in 2006, with the likes of Liew Daren, Chong Wei Feng and Chan Kwong Beng failing to live up to their potential. It’s a different story in the doubles, where the talents are aplenty. But the constant switching and swapping of the pairs have slowed down the rise of potential stars. Fortunately, common sense has prevailed. And the BAM can now look forward to reaping the benefits of get*ting the talented youngsters to train with the seniors day in and day out. For example, a singles player like Mohd Arif Abdul Latif will get to train three hours with Chong Wei each day. During this time, both will be given equal attention. That means that whatever Chong Wei does in training, so will Arif and the rest. But after that three hours of com*bined training, another hour will be set aside for Arif and his other back-up team-mates to provide quality sparring for Chong Wei as he prepares for next year’s London Olympic Games. This arrangement is a win-win situation for Chong Wei and the back-up players. The same arrangement applies to men’s doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and the back-up shuttlers. This training arrangement will surely speed up the back-up players’ progress and help raise their standard. But what about the coaching line-up? Have BAM placed the right people to accomplish the task of winning the country’s first gold at the London Olympics and producing a new generation of calibre players? Former Olympic and world champ*ion Rexy Mainaky has been downgraded from coaching the men’s doubles to be in charge of the women’s doubles and mixed doubles departments. Why? Because he did not achieve the target of helping Kien Keat-Boon Heong win a medal at the recent World Championships. Thus, BAM’s decision to entrust that responsibility to Kim Her, Pang Cheh Chang and Rosman Razak. Although it is a big slap in the face for Rexy, credit to him for accepting the decision. Did the BAM do the right thing? Rexy is the second high-profile coach to suffer “a sudden fall from grace” in BAM’s coaching set-up within a year. In January, Misbun Sidek resigned after airing his un**happiness over some of the decisions made by the national body. In Misbun’s absence, Tey Seu Bock has been dutifully guiding Chong Wei. Former world champion Hendra*wan has been placed under Rashid and his main focus is the back-up players. This is the first time in years that local coaches – Kim Her, Rashid, Seu Bock and Cheh Chang – have been given big responsibilities to take care of the key players in the team. Can they live up to expectations? Except for Rashid, the others have not really achieved much. Besides Rexy and Hendrawan, Malaysia have hired other foreign greats like Park Joo-bong (South Korea), Morten Frost (Denmark), Han Jian, Yang Yang, Li Mao (all China) and the late Indra Gunawan (Indonesia) to help end the country’s chase for a gold medal at the World Championships and Olympic Games. They all failed. Now, the onus is on the local coaches to do what their foreign counterparts could not. The shuttle is in your court, gentlemen.
The onus is on the local coaches to do what their foreign counterparts could not . IMHO, BAM should allow players and coaches to work on their programs themselves. For me, I see BAM jusy want to be boss... And many a times, BAM committee members interfered so much; that they should sack ALL coaches, and they themselves (as administrators) to take up the coaching positions to coach their own players. .
I was musing that if LCW had won WC11 gold, and NCC was the manager leading the team to London (he appointed himself manager), NCC would claim all credit for his genius/wisdom for the success, and the $$$, bonus and maybe a Datukship. As much as I would like to see LCW win MAS first WC gold, darn, I just can't stand that idiot NCC. That post interview where NCC looked like a idiot, like MasterCard said 'priceless' and stupid at the same time. Why don't players, managers say it as it is 'the KOR are fit, fast, power, and read our game perfectly. Our KKK/TBH can smash 1, 2, maybe 3 times, and then smash no more cos' they are not fit, not the coaches fault...tell the truth.
Here is what I see. Malaysia is desperate for a Gold medal at the OG 2012. ANY GOLD. So, given the various disciplines and the quality of athletes the country has, what's their best bet? Yep, you're right, you win the prize: its that skinny boy, LCW. Now, take a look at who has been running BAM. A bunch of jokers with their own agendas -- individually and collectively. Some want the power; some want the fame; some want the money; some want the security of the job. But all of them have one thing in common: they want LCW to win. Without that, no money, no fame, no security either. So they get mega sponsorships; not beause BAM deserves it, but because they have used LCW as their USP. LCW is their saviour. He is also the pivot around which BAM's hopes for furthering their cause hinges. They change the coaching structure; they change the coaches; they change the teams; they change the salary structures; they change anything that can be changed. But they package the changes as "a step forward in" what else?... "the national interest!" Now, if you suddenly get a lot of money, it won't make you more intelligent or give you better perspective. It may just make you feel more powerful. You won't know other people read that as arrogance, because you're "living the dream" and you believe that you yourself have done something to deserve the money! So you go about rearranging people's lives all around you, and pretend you know what you're doing. After all, you have the money; the position; the power. Who is there to tell you you're wrong? The sane and simple ones who do tell you, choose to leave! What are they banking on? That LCW delivers next year. So they give him everything he wants. Cars, medals, shares, watches, coaches, 15 training partners, whatever. If he delivers, they are the heroes: they did everything right, Malaysia has its Gold medal. And THEN, THE REAL HORROR STORY WILL BEGIN. This bunch will have the license to commit more madness. There is nothing to stop this lot from "restructuring" BAM every season and "not blaming" anyone else for it. You keep stirring the pot, what do you eventually get? Paste. No form; no clarity; no direction. The last solid bit of evidence that badminton is still played in Malaysia, is LCW; and he won't be around for more than another 2-3 years. No wonder Rexy is smiling. He is on a paid holiday.
http://www.bharian.com.my/bharian/articles/KienKeat-BoonHeongdapatsentuhanChang/Article http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/2011091123532420110911235324/Article TKH's comments. He just came back from Taiwan Open to find out he's now in charge of MD, lol
