Is BAM going in the right direction?

Discussion in 'Malaysia Professional Players' started by cobalt, May 22, 2011.

  1. limsy

    limsy Regular Member

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    selling shoes?
     
  2. abedeng

    abedeng Regular Member

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    Nadzmi is a good leader - but what he doesn't have is good and professional backroom staff similar to the ones enjoyed by Elyas Omar, BAM president from the mid 80s to 1993. Elyas was able to do administration AND business well. With additional sponsorship funds, the drive came to get better coaching from overseas (primarily China).

    The backroom became political since Elyas was forced out, which was why we failed to retain the Thomas Cup in 1994 onwards. Coaches that came after 1994 could not do much, and we are talking big names such as Park Joo Bong, Rexy Mainaky and Morten Frost.
     
  3. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    You can often be a "good leader" in one walk of life but an absolute loser in another. It is not uncommon. How often have we seen the wrong decisions being taken by the top brass and how often have we seen these decisions being either condoned or actively supported by Nadzmi? A good leader would be looking to prevent the rot from setting in -but first he would have to be able to identify the rot. Any person with enough business acumen and experience (like Nadzmi) would have been able to even instinctively know when the pieces were not sitting quite right. I think he knew; and chose to turn a blind eye, or play along. I think Nadzmi has failed on most counts.

    As for resurrecting the financial health of BAM, yes he did achieve it -but the results in almost every aspect that BAM showed despite adequate finances, is reason for an even more scathing indictment of BAM's mismanagement and myopia.

    Just my 2 cents...
     
  4. mb111

    mb111 Regular Member

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    I agree with Cobalt.

    A good leader is someone able to lead, manage and continuously guide the team to greater heights. Someone who knows the organization strengths and formulate plans to overcome their shortcomings. Looking at BAM, raising funds is one thing, but the accomplishment.....ahem *cough* *cough*. If I were to come out with another example, let's take a look at a school principal. This person can help raise lots of public/ private/ charity funds, but if the students are not doing well in public examination or have high dropouts rate, then who is the victims? Some may argue, oh, we can use the money to help the students. Yeah, right, definitely.....but if we allow the same people to run the show, or make bad decisions, the school (or BAM) would never solve their problems.
     
  5. mafan

    mafan Regular Member

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    Like cobalt in post #1383 above, I cannot say that Nadzmi’s tenure in BAM was successful despite his success in raising revenue. I now add my opinion on Nadzmi’s and Chin Chai’s impending departure as president of BAM and chairman of the Coaching and Training Committee respectively. Some of my thoughts have also been voiced by others on this thread.

    I do not see either man’s decision not to retain his post as a noble, respectable or honorable act. I see it as self-serving. They have milked Malaysian badminton for all that it had to offer and have chosen to depart now because they see the end of the tunnel...there is no light at the end of it. At least not without bold and brave changes to how BAM runs things. Malaysia’s poor performance at the Sudirman Cup followed by the public outcry and the Youth and Sports Minister’s call for change may have influenced their decisions to relinquish their respective positions, but I feel that they have been shrewd and planned what they believe to be the perfect exit strategy.

    For the past several years, the single consistent bright spot in Malaysian badminton has been Lee Chong Wei and his prospects for Olympic and World Championship gold. To a lesser extent, there was hope that Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong would bring further honors to Malaysian badminton beyond those few months (about seven, perhaps) when they seemed to be invincible. As age creeps up on LCW and the responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood take precedence in his life, it will take a superhuman effort on his part to be able to grab the gold at the Rio Olympic Games. This is something I hope he accomplishes, besides success in August. The rise of the younger Chinese players such as Chen Long who have shown on several occasions that LCW can be beaten will make these tasks even more difficult. Additionally, the uncertainty of whether Lin Dan will compete at Rio will likely be a distraction and constitute a mental hurdle for LCW. As for KKK/TBH, it seems a foregone conclusion that their best badminton is behind them. I want to be wrong and I hope they prove me wrong in August.

    With the impending diminishing prospects of LCW at Olympic and World Championship glory, the widely-believed extinguished prospects of KKK/TBH at any type of glory at all, Nadzmi and Chin Chai have picked the perfect time to leave (even though I understand CC may remain as secretary of BAM) their positions and have craftily worded their statements to make it seem they are doing the honorable thing and for the betterment of Malaysian badminton. What they have really done is they have exploited the best of what LCW, KKK/TBH and others delivered, received credit for and basked in those glorious days and are now jumping ship as the future seems quite bleak.

    They have consistently blamed other factors and persons for the overall failure of the Malaysian badminton program. I have not seen them take responsibility until now and I do not think it is sincere. As persons who know nothing about badminton and what it takes to succeed at its highest levels, they took positions which they had no business taking. The one success that Nadzmi may legitimately claim is that of increasing revenue. He should have been the chairman of the fund-raising committee, not the president. His business acumen and stature in the business community notwithstanding, it appears to me he was and is not the right person to head BAM. Let’s not even get into the (lack of) credentials of lawyer Chin Chai to chair the Coaching and Training Committee.


    The reasons these two men have given for giving up their respective positions and the advice Nadzmi had for his successor have been voiced by many here at Badminton Central for years. Surely they were aware of how Malaysian badminton fans felt, even if they did not visit Badminton Central. Surely they knew what was wrong with BAM and its program but they chose to continue to exercise control and authority so they could bask (perhaps even usurp) in the glory if LCW won the gold at the Olympic Games or the World Championship.

    Malaysian badminton will not prosper as long as persons (no matter how much of a VIP or how successful they are as business persons) who have no experience at world-class badminton continue to hold leadership positions and exercise dominion over crucial aspects such as coaching, training, etc. If it is the system or the culture that dictates that a VIP or business leader be at the top of BAM, then so be it, but a change must be made such that the head is responsible for aspects that have nothing to do with badminton, such as generating revenue and maintaining sponsor and media relationships, or other business aspects. All things badminton should be left to another who is knowledgeable and experienced with world-class badminton. BAM have tossed around the idea of a high performance director but since Park Joo Bong refused the position, it appears nothing has been done to acquire one. But then, acquiring one is only a first step. Trusting and permitting such person to have sufficient control and authority is another. If past experience with coaches is anything to go by, it appears BAM higher-ups have a problem trusting the coaches or giving them control and authority and want to stick their hands and heads where they do not belong. Ask Rexy Mainaky, Misbun Sidek and the other renowned coaches that have come and gone, fed up with BAM. (To this day, I still wonder if LCW would have won the gold at London if MS remained his coach and LCW stuck to his initial position of wanting MS to remain his coach. I was disappointed when LCW changed his mind and did not speak his mind against BAM then because I truly think that he cannot really believe BAM was running things properly. I think he just settled on not rocking the boat with BAM. As some say, it is all politics. Perhaps after he retires, he will really say what he wants to say. Sorry for the digression. Still some pent-up frustration at that whole episode)

    It seems that the powers-that-be at BAM suffer from an offshoot of the “kiasu” attitude (for those unfamiliar with this Malaysian and Singaporean term, it refers to a fear of losing “face”). Let’s just call it the “aibin” attitude, an overwhelming desire to have “face”. As long as LCW and KKK/TBH were believed to be on the cusp of Olympic and/or World Championship glory, nothing else mattered except that the status quo remained so as not to upset the perceived momentum they had towards achieving such glory... and the bringing of “face” to the powers-that-be at BAM. After all, an Olympic gold in badminton would be the first ever Olympic gold for Malaysia in any discipline. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that, much less be able to claim credit for it.

    Nadzmi also covers himself well in his exit strategy with the advice he gives to his successor. If LCW wins the World Championship in August, he can still glow in the limelight and claim credit since it will only be one month since his decision to not run for the presidency of BAM again. If LCW or any other Malaysian badminton player somehow manages to win Olympic gold in Rio, he can claim his advice to his successor led to changes in BAM which led to the gold medal. If no gold at Rio, the failure has nothing further to do with him. Win-win situation!

    Whatever happens, if BAM does not buck up, it may be that Malaysia’s first Olympic gold will be achieved by some other sport, such as diving, cycling, shooting or archery. Or perhaps by Nicol David if squash is admitted as an Olympic sport and she is still playing?
     
  6. pajrul

    pajrul Regular Member

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    Mafan, again. You managed to condensed the collective thoughts of many red blooded malaysian bc'er here... albeit in unfettered and eloquent (maybe borderline verbose) language. Well done.. This could be an article that even rajes would be proud I believe
    however the truth behind the trust of your arguments only served to depress me more even as most country, especially Indonesia is surely rising out of their own doldrums ....in fact everybody is improving... Except little old us...
     
  7. mafan

    mafan Regular Member

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    Pajrul, sorry for the verbosity. Words are like rain to me. When it rains, it pours. As you may have noticed, I seldom post. When I do, I have a lot to say, or say whatever little I have to say in a lot of words, as I am doing right now. :)

    Actually, I tried to edit the post today but was unable to do it. Maybe I just did not know how to do it. Just as well that I was not able to edit it, because although I thought I’d shorten it, I ended up with more thoughts so an edit would likely have lengthened it.

    Yes, Indonesian badminton’s resurgence is very impressive indeed. It will only get better now that Rexy Mainaky is back with them. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Indonesian Open last week. The energy in the stadium was electrifying. It was great seeing how the Indonesian players have improved. I was impressed by Ahsan’s improvement in the doubles and also seeing so many Indonesian players’ names whom I did not recognize. It is as if they all improved so quickly and surged into the limelight that I could not help but notice them. In the ongoing Singapore Open, a women’s singles player I only became aware of last week during the IO (thanks in part to Abedeng’s many interesting pictures) managed to stretch the Olympic champion and World #1 to three sets and the scores were close, even if she lost. I’m talking about Belaetrix Manuputi. I like Rexy so if the Malaysian players do not give me anything to cheer for, I will support Indonesia’s players. I was concerned the post-LCW era would be boring for me but now it looks like it will still be interesting. Quite a few of the Indonesian players are very easy on the eyes too.

    Besides Indonesia, as you pointed out, other countries have also improved tremendously while Malaysia cannot seem to get anything going. Marc Zwiebler, Juliane Schenk, the Russian men’s doubles pair who impressed us all at the IO, etc. will continue to keep things interesting for us badminton fans after Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei retire.

    Since this thread is about BAM, I will add further thoughts to my previous post above. I believe that the “aibin” attitude featured significantly in the failure of the current management team to help Malaysian badminton win that elusive first Olympic gold for the country. I think the attitude contributed to myopic decisions which may have cheated LCW and/or KKK/TBH of their Olympic glory and deprived the nation of the pride and joy that would have come with it.

    LCW and KKK/TBH had the talent and skills for gold at Beijing and London but when you are at that highest level of competition, talent and skills are not necessarily sufficient. This was especially so with LCW who was up against a player many believe to be the greatest singles player ever. You need every advantage you can get. The right frame of mind, proper motivation, strategy, coaching relationships, etc. They needed that extra edge. I think BAM failed them and failed Malaysia. The controversies over coaches, training and the climate that tolerated indiscipline (with respect to KKK/TBH) were among the factors which I believe rendered the Malaysian players to be less than what they could have been at those Games. We will never know if better leadership at BAM would have resulted in Malaysia winning its first Olympic gold at either the Beijing or London Games, but I can confidently say that it would definitely have increased the chances of that happening.

    Finally, my thoughts on the future. While I wish desperately for LCW to win gold in Rio, this discussion assumes he does not. In probably any other era of badminton, LCW would likely be a double Olympic champion already. Unfortunately, he plays in Lin Dan’s era. It will probably be a long time before another player of LCW’s caliber comes along in Malaysia but Malaysia does not necessarily require another player in the mold of LCW to win gold at the “O”. LCW was thwarted by LD, and it will probably also be a long time before China has another player of LD’s caliber. His Chinese successors will be many but it is unlikely any of them will be the marvel that LD is for quite a long while. LD’s successors may dominate, but their domination will not be as complete as LD’s was (and is?). There will be opportunities for others to shine, despite the likelihood of China’s continued domination in virtually every discipline in badminton in the foreseeable future. However, it appears that the opportunities for others will increase the most in men’s singles after LD has truly retired. Men’s doubles will likely continue to be hotly contested among several countries as it is now and Malaysia can regularly be in the run for honors.

    However, for Malaysia to take advantage of these opportunities, the myopic decision-making at BAM must end, capable leadership must be installed and player development and nurturing must be undertaken with a long-term goal of producing strong players with the ability to challenge for honors at the highest levels of competition. Politicking must end. Selfish aims and short-term goals must give way to selfless dedication and the long-term goal of rebuilding Malaysian might in badminton. Malaysian junior world champions fade into oblivion while China’s bloom into world beaters, and it is a sad day for Malaysian badminton (though a great day for world badminton) when Russian men doubles accomplish better results than Malaysian men at the recent Indonesian Open. If this is not enough motivation to get Malaysian badminton back on the right track, how much lower must it sink before BAM leaders realize “it is not about me but about national pride and joy”?
     
  8. pajrul

    pajrul Regular Member

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    In response to your last paragraph.. If we go by track record alone. It seems to me BAM is hell bent in trying to make us the worlds worse badminton nation. How else can we explain the year after year production of world class juniors and then, without fail they proceed, entering into the inevitable domain of the tradition of mediocrity... Of the seniors, tumbling into the 'warmth of chicken ****' hole of rashid sidek and company. That's my only conclusion. They deserve all hubris
     
  9. dan92

    dan92 Regular Member

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    To be honest, BAM is going to "NO" direction.
    Once Lee Chong Wei retired, probably they will play in 2nd tier of Sudirman Cup for the first time.
     
  10. pBmMalaysia

    pBmMalaysia Regular Member

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    Thanks Mafan for your long contribution ... as usual :D

    Yes, BAM needs to be re-assembled!

    They have produced world class players at the age of 18
    and that's just about it :D

    But wait, they have and had the best coaches around
    so it doesn't take a minute to figure out
    there must be some kind of restrictions
    to the coaches to fully perform their duties :p

    At least NCC and Nasmi are willing to vacate their seats
    but what about those that are still clinging on to it?

    I say, the only way is for a government rescue lol
    starting from the state level
    and how this is going to be possible
    I have no idea :eek:
     
  11. pajrul

    pajrul Regular Member

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    I feel bad for the next crop of youngsters.. Joo ven, chi wing etc.. It seems that their future is doomed to mediocrity.. If nothing radical is done
     
  12. SibugiChai

    SibugiChai Regular Member

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    A good king would have choose some reliable generals...

    losing the wars and blame the generals?

    that kind of king is not good right?
     
  13. limsy

    limsy Regular Member

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    how about the current crop? the previous crop?;)
     
  14. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Latest pearl from BAM: they want guarantees of profit/revenue from BWF if MAS is to host the SS Finals this year. :p
     
  15. SibugiChai

    SibugiChai Regular Member

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    Hahaha... The most stupid statement I heard from bam... Lol!
     
  16. Cheung

    Cheung Moderator

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    As mentioned by me before, they don't want to host it. There is only one player they can count on in drawing the local crowds along. So they set some 'conditions' in order to host the SSF which are unattainable.

    I really wonder if they can pull any sponsors in.
     
  17. mafan

    mafan Regular Member

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    BAM: Hey BWF, we will need a guarantee of profit/revenue if we host the SS Finals this year.

    (Google translation: Hey BWF, we goofed up, not having been able to nurture Malaysian badminton into something exciting enough to attract spectators to the SS Finals (or any badminton event) so you will need to guarantee us a profit/revenue if we host the event.)
     
  18. **KZ**

    **KZ** Regular Member

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    if guarantee profit i want to organise also
     
  19. cobalt

    cobalt Moderator

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    Another side of this argument is that the SS Finals have been (so far) been badly packaged and presented. Instead of making it an All-Stars event with enough collateral interest, it becomes this last afterthought of the calendar year -everyone, including the fans, are already washed out by then.

    I think BWF seriously needs to re-package some of their tournaments to make them more meaningful and socially relevant. But that's not for this thread.

    However, it does appear that the SS finals are just a drain on resources.
     
  20. limsy

    limsy Regular Member

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    because they used to get guarantees profits/revenue like proton/mas/perwaja.
    if business failed,no worry,big boss is there:D
     

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