Kemerosotan prestasi perseorangan lelaki negara mengundang kegusaran Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) yang sudah mula meletakkan tekanan ke atas ketua jurulatih skuadnya, Datuk Misbun Sidek.
Dalam ketiadaan Datuk Lee Chong Wei, perseorangan lelaki negara sukar memikul tugas sebagai penyumbang kejayaan negara.
Jika ada pun pencapaian, ia hanya menerusi pemain berstatus profesional, Liew Daren, yang menyaksikannya melangkah ke separuh akhir Kejohanan Dunia 2018.
Dalam masa sama, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin yang dibelenggu skandal disiplin sedang dalam proses mengembalikan prestasi di dalam gelanggang.
Sementara itu, bakat muda seperti Lee Zii Jia tenggelam di sebalik tanggungjawab penting seperti temasya Sukan Asia 2018.
Terkini, juara Kejohanan Remaja Asia dan naib juara Kejohanan Remaja Dunia 2017, Leong Jun Hao, tersungkur dalam Sukan Malaysia (Sukma) Perak apabila tewas kepada dua pemain profesional dalam aksi berpasukan dan individu.
"Saya sudah memberitahu Misbun bahawa sudah tiba masanya untuk menghasilkan keputusan dan beliau menjawab, 'Ya, saya faham'.
"Kami sepakat dalam hal ini.
"Sesetengah pemain perlu diberikan peluang. Pemain senior juga di bawah tekanan dan saya memberitahu Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kejurulatihan dan Latihan (C&T) BAM, Datuk Ng Chin Chai, pagi tadi, apa sahaja langkah diambil, ia harus berlandaskan petunjuk prestasi utama (KPI).
"Pemain menikmati segalanya. BAM tidak pernah ambil wang kemenangan mereka selain menawarkan insentif ranking dan gaji.
"Mereka mempunyai kemudahan. Jadi, saya harap mereka boleh bersikap adil dengan rakyat Malaysia," kata Presiden BAM, Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria.
Penulis Jemputan
Thu Sep 20 2018
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