Shuttlers must earn spot in senior squad — Choong Han
KUALA LUMPUR: Stay in your comfort zone and you will end up a loser.
That's the loud and clear warning Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) coaching director Wong Choong Hann has for juniors promoted to the senior squad. He has urged the youngsters to continue to challenge themselves and to never be contented with whatever they have or will achieve.
“We will monitor their progress and their mental state...in the new environment and new training ground. We will lead and guide them with the proper input and knowledge so that they will feel comfortable, but not until they become too complacent.
“I mean they are welcome to the senior scene, yet they must also fight very hard to earn their place in the squad because there is no such thing as automatic promotion. We have very limited resources, space and place. We only cater to those who are hungry for success, so the attitude they show will help us decide (on whether the juniors can make the cut or not),” he said after a training session at the Malaysia Badminton Academy, Bukit Kiara yesterday.
His comments followed the confirmation by BAM secretary Datuk Ng Chin Chai that all shuttlers from the World Junior Championships squad, including professional player Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, would be absorbed into senior side.
Choong Hann also reminded the juniors that skills alone would not take them far if they did not have the mindset of a champion as well as the desire to keep learning and improving, adding that many talented shuttlers had fallen by the wayside because they lacked these attributes.
At least the juniors need not look too far when it comes to learning about mental strength as Malaysian badminton has one of the world's best in Datuk Lee Chong Wei, he said.
As for their willingness to learn and improve, Choong Hann said they must learn to improve their muscles to get more power and speed.
“If you have the skills but do not know how to improve your muscles and fitness levels, then it will all be a waste,” he said. — Bernama