Give back-up international exposure — Kim Hock

KUALA LUMPUR: National back- up players must be given a lot of international exposure to prepare them for major tournaments such as the Thomas Cup and the Olympic Games.

Former national badminton coach Yap Kim Hock lauded the decision of the Badminton Association of Malaysia ( BAM) to send the number two players to the Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

“We have to give the national second and third players to compete in international tournaments and set a high target to motive them. It is the responsibility of the coaches to conduct intensive training to enable them to achieve what has been set,” he told Bernama here, yesterday.

Kim Hock said follow-up action must be done on the back- up players to ensure there were improvements in performances each compete at international level.

The talents of the young national players would not develop if they were not given the opportunity to be on the same level as the number one players.

The BAM should hire more foreign coaches, especially those were world champions or Olympic Games medal winners to coach the national squad.

Kim Hock admitted it was not easy to produce a world champion like Datuk Lee Chong Wei as such an icon could not be produced in a short time.

“It is not easy to produce a player like Chong Wei. So, we must have many platforms and efforts. I believe all quarters are trying to do so and if we use suitable platforms, we can achieve major success.

“The Purple League is one example of such a plat form which has produced new talents. Through this league, new talents such as Iskandar and Lim Chi Wing may get the oppotunity to represent the nation in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.”

In Vietnam, Malaysia is in Group B with Indonesia and Sri Lanka.

The p l aye rs : I ska nd a r Zulkarnain Zainuddin, Lim Chi Wing ( men’s singles); Teo Ee Yi- Ong Yew Sin, Goh Sze FeiNur Izzuddin Rumsani ( men’s doubles); Ho Yen Mei, Lee Ying Ying (women’s singles); Chow Mei Kuan- Lee Meng Yean, Lim Yin Loo-Yap Cheng Wen (women’s doubles); and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, Goh Soon Huat- Shevon Lai Jemie ( mixed doubles). — Bernama