Foul!

Surat layang , or rather ' mesej Whatsapp (or some will pronounce as Wasup) layang '. That was what I received this afternoon from a number that is not registered on my phone. The sender identified him/herself as " ahli yg memerhati tingkah laku BAM " (Badminton Association of Malaysia). The four chapters were titled as:  'Siapa dia Tan Sri BAM "Mr P"' Perletakan Jawatan Presiden BAM 'Siapa Tengku Zafrul' Kemelut Dalaman BAM There were many allegations to which the sender justified as not " fitnah " but " hakikat apa yg berlaku ". The four chapters highlights Mr P's "connection kuat ", goes into why Tengku Zafrul was named as the incoming BAM president, and takes issue with the establishment of 'Yayasan Badminton Nasional' and Akademi Badminton Malaysia. The writer (unsure if the sender is also the writer) also wrote that ' majority in the Council dalam BAM semua tak berani buat laporan sebab tak...

Shuttlers from around the globe will be in Kuala Lumpur from Oct 31 to Nov 5 for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour Super 100 tournament, BERGAMOT Kuala Lumpur Masters Malaysia Super 100 2023.  The points earned during this Super 100 circuit will not only contribute to the qualification for the year-end BWF World Tour Finals but also play a crucial role in the Race to Paris Qualification. Get ready for world-class badminton action featuring exceptional players, including our local heroes, at the Stadium Titiwangsa. Secure your tickets for this Super 100 tournament starting from today, available online at https://my.bookmyshow.com /. KLBA President & BERGAMOT KL Masters Malaysia Super 100 2023 advisor, Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamard Yunoos expressed his gratitude, as he thanked the BA of Malaysia for its unwavering support and for entrusting Kuala Lumpur BA to host the tournament.  "My sincere appreciation goes to our main sponsor, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, for its...

  There have been plenty of conversations about our national shuttlers going independent. There are those who don't see it as a problem. There are others who seem disturbed by it. But many of them seem to ignore the visions, missions and objectives of the BA of Malaysia (BAM). The image above, a screenshot from BAM's website , shows the objectives. Note: It does not read "owning players". The image below shows BAM's vision and mission. The mission states to have a big pool of world class players, bigger pool of back-up players and to implement development programmes. Once again, it does not say "to own players". As such, it comes to no surprise to why BAM has accommodated independent players as the leadership is simply keeping true to the national body's visions, missions and objectives. This is also reflected in the July 14, 2021 press statement below: And the statement by its president pubslihed in The Star  on July 24, 2021: BAM president Tan Sri ...

Press release National youth head coach, Kwan Yoke Meng is eyeing for improvement from his young charges at this year’s Celcom Axiata Malaysia International Junior Open (CAMIJO). A total of 41 players from the national youth setup featuring Kok Jin Hong, Ooi Jhy Dar, Yap Roy King and Fazriq Razif are set to take on heavy hitters that include world junior No. 10 Christo Popov of France and world junior No. 21 Sirawit Sothon of Thailand. “My target for this tournament is to achieve better than last year’s record of four representatives in the quarterfinals. “I hope that the young players will be able to take this opportunity to upset their opponents and gain more confidence in their own abilities,” said Kwan. The 53-year-old coach will have to make do without the services of men’s singles shuttler, Lee Shun Yang who picked up an ankle injury in training while fourth seeded mixed doubles player, Gan Jing Err is a doubt due to foot injury. “Hopefully ...

National shuttlers Goh V Shem and Goh Soon Huat were today issued warning letters for their Instagram postings during the recent Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. It was reported: Soon Huat’s Instagram posting stated “Bronze medal match not so important?” And followed by three question marks and a sad emoji. V Shem was more blunt in his posting - “Players fighting for the bronze medal. But, VIPs gone after we lose in the semi-final match.” Read the full article here .  The NST also reported the matter as seen here . Also read  Utusan  and Berita Harian's reports. The articles did not state if the VIPs were indeed present during the match. And if they were not there, why? Now here's a report I know many would like to read. If only it is not a fairy tale ... TIMBUKTU: Athletes will come down hard on officials who have not performed. The athletes issued warning letters to officials for failing to keep their promises, pledges or me...

UPDATE 8.40pm: City Hall has agreed to meet KLBA "soon" over the status of the badminton stadium in Cheras. The development of the land was also reported by Astro Arena during its evening bulletin.  BADMINTON enthusiasts hope those involved in the redevelopment project at Jalan Cheras will honour their promise in reconstructing the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium. Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association (KLBA) also hopes an alternative training venue will be provided during the reconstruction process. This comes following news Mah Sing Group Bhd had bought the land housing the 27-year-old stadium that has a capacity of 4,500. Mah Sing told Bursa Malaysia on July 3 it signed a share sale agreement with Hazreeq Putra Hasman and Maslinda Othman for their shareholding in Cordova Land Sdn Bhd,a company which has secured the acceptance of Kuala Lumpur City Hall for the purchase of an 11.233-acre piece of land in the area for RM82.127 million. Mah Sing’s gro...

Picture from Hafiz Hashim's Facebook National shuttler Hafiz Hashim said he is willing to give up playing and turn to coaching if the deal with the BA of Malaysia (BAM) is right. The 2003 All-England men’s singles champion met BAM technical director Morten Frost this morning over the possibility of coaching the national women’s singles team. "I just met Frost and everything went well. It sounded positive," said Hafiz. "I've not accepted anything yet. There are still several details to look into, especially my salary and sponsorship deals. As you know I'm still playing and have obligations. "I'm willing to give up playing, if the deal is right," he added. Hafiz, 34, said there will be another meeting between him and Frost "soon". "If the terms are right, then I'll be looking at joining BAM after the SEA Games, by September perhaps." Hafiz has been playing for Petaling Jaya Badminton Club in the Purple L...

As published in Sunday Mail By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — Datuk Lee Chong Wei has never attended the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. On Friday, he will not only be in Rio de Janeiro for the curtain-raiser but will lead the national contingent of 32 athletes as the flag bearer.   He is the 15th athlete, starting with weightlifter Tan Kim Bee leading Malaya at the Melbourne Games in 1956, to be bestowed the honour.   The Penangnite, who turns 34 on Oct 21, said: “Being the flag bearer means so much to me. This is my last Olympics and to be given such an honour … it’s something words cannot describe.   “I am very proud that I’ve been named the flag bearer, to lead our contingent of 32 excellent athletes during the opening ceremony. To hold the flag up high in front of a large crowd, it will be a memorable and emotional affair. “This will motivate me and I hope to raise the Jalur Gemilang once again when I win the gold medal.”    ...

As published in Malay Mail today By Haresh Deol haresh@mmail.com.my PETALING JAYA — The BA of Malaysia (BAM) say it is unwise to place additional pressure on Lee Chong Wei as Malaysians continue to bank on the national shuttler to deliver the nation’s first Olympic gold medal in August.   The national body’s acting president Tan Sri Mohamed Al Amin Abd Majid said fans should keep calm and not brush aside Lee’s opponents at the Rio de Janeiro Games which will feature the best in the world,.     Lee got badminton fans elated after winning the Indonesian Open yesterday. His journey to the final earned him enough points to top the world rankings — a position he once held from 2006 to 2014.   “We are happy he is back at the top spot in the world rankings but let’s not get overly hyped up ... let’s not be caught in this (frenzy),” he said.   Al Amin, who is also the chef de mission for the Games, said it was unfair to say Lee was the only person capable of cl...

1934-1937: John L. Woods 1947-1949: Lim Chuan Geok 1949:        Heah Joo Seang 1950-1953: Khoo Teik Foo 1954-1959: Heah Joo Seang 1960:     Low Hoot Yeang 1961-1985: Tan Sri Mohd Khir Johari 1985-1993: Tan Sri Elyas Omar 1993-2000: Datuk Dr Abdullah Fadzil Che Wan 2000-2013: Datuk Sri Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh 2013-2015: Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Tengku Ariff Oct 18, 2015 (acting president):   Tan Sri Al Amin Mohamed Al-Amin Abd Majid

As published in Malay Mail today HARESH SAYS by Haresh Deol A SENIOR official claims a senior colleague suggested to “hide or tamper” documents. On any other day, such accusations will warrant a full investigation. But in the case of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), it was a revelation that was video recorded and presumably kept aside.  Malay Mail had last Saturday revealed AFC financial director Bryan Kuan Wee Hoong, in a video recording on July 26, 2012, claimed AFC general secretary Datuk Alex Soosay said “protect me” before suggesting “can you tamper or hide documents that relate to me”. Kuan had, in the video, said the conversation between him and Soosay took place at the AFC House in Bukit Jalil on July 23, 2012, three days before former Fifa investigator Michael John Pride recorded the statement. This was during the 2012 audit by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Kuan refused to talk when contacted last week. Soosay vehemently denied...