‘Wear the flag in your hearts’
international Wong Choong Hann has reminded up-and-coming shuttlers of what it means to represent Malaysia following the national team’s poor outing at the recent Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in Bangkok.
In the Thomas Cup, Malaysia crashed out in the quarter-finals after losing 3-1 to Indonesia, while the women failed to clear the Uber Cup group stage.
Choong Hann, the 2003 World Championships silver medallist, said donning the national jersey alone is not enough, if the players do not take pride of the flag in their hearts.
“We come from different eras, so I really can’t judge these players as I don’t mix with them.
“The players must carry the national colours in their hearts and not just on their shirts,” said Choong Hann, who was recently roped in by BAM for their Coaching Education Panel.
The 41-year-old reiterated that the younger players should not waste any opportunity, but instead make everything count.
“They need to realise that as national players, they are no longer playing for themselves. Every moment of training, you must go back to basics and work hard with heart.
“You see the hardware is so much better these days. The court, the training facilities, these are all efforts from the country for the players.
“These young players are not among the elite yet. My humble advice is for these players to stay humble and work on the opportunity given. You have got youth and all the opportunities to make full use of the facilities made available to you.
“As the old saying goes, ‘never give up on every chance given to you’, eventually you will become a better player.”
Choong Hann, who was seen talking with his former junior, Lee Chong Wei, at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara yesterday, tipped the former World No 1 to go on playing for another couple more years.
“Chong Wei has always been surprising people. He still has the will and the ability to pull off surprises in the badminton world. People say there is a limit to everything, but Chong Wei has gone on to defy the odds, proving that if you want something bad enough, it can be done.”