Barisan bintang muda badminton negara bersedia memikul tanggungjawab menjelang saingan kejuaraan perdana Kejohanan Terbuka Malaysia tanpa kelibat Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
Pemeriksaan kesihatan lanjutan pasca rawatan kanser menyaksikan tiada peluang buat Chong Wei kembali ke gelanggang secara kompetitif setelah doktor menasihatkannya untuk tidak meneruskan hasrat itu.
Situasi itu bermakna Malaysia akan bersandar harapan kepada bakat meningkat naik seperti pemain perseorangan lelaki, Lee Zii Jia, dan finalis beregu lelaki Seluruh England 2019, Aaron Chia-Soh Woi Yik.
Ketika pemain bersedia mengelak daripada mengecewakan harapan tinggi peminat badminton tanah air, Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) tetap menagih persembahan terbaik daripada setiap pemain.
"Seperti yang saya katakan, ini adalah masa untuk peminat di Malaysia memberi sokongan padu kepada pemain muda. Mereka memerlukan sokongan tersebut kerana ia salah satu cara untuk melonjakkan mereka ke peringkat lebih tinggi," kata Presiden BAM, Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria.
"Kita sering menyoal siapa pengganti pemain seperti Chong Wei dan Tan Wee Kiong atau Chan Peng Soon. Pengganti sudah ada. Sebab itu ini adalah peluang untuk penyokong hadir ke stadium memberi sokongan."
Dalam usaha menstruktur semula imej badminton Malaysia menerusi pemain muda, BAM turut menjalin kerjasama dengan selebriti tempatan, Elizabeth Tan, sebagai duta badan induk itu.
Penulis Jemputan
Fri Mar 22 2019
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