Boon Heong: Let club players take part in Superseries and Grand Prix Gold events

ODENSE: Former international Tan Boon Heong hopes the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will change their mind and allow club players to play in the Superseries and Grand Prix Gold events.

BAM enforced a ruling that curb a clubs’ participation in these tournaments at last month’s council meeting.

The club players can only compete if they join the national body.

The ruling does not apply to independent players who have played at least a year in the Superseries main draw.

“I’m grateful that BAM allowed me to play but I hope they give the juniors in my club the same opportunity too,” said Boon Heong, who plays in the men’s doubles with former Olympic champion Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia under the Seri Mutiara banner.

The other shuttlers who are exempted are Chong Wei Feng, Zulfadli Zulkiffli, Liew Daren, Tan Boon Heong, Lim Khim Wah, Sannatasah Saniru, K. Yogendran and Mohd Arif Abdul Latif.

“I hope BAM will rethink their decision. It’ll be good for the development of the club if more players at the lower level are given the opportunity,” said Boon Heong after his challenge ended at the Denmark Open.

Boon Heong-Hendra went down 21- 15, 18- 21, 15- 21 to Olympic champions Zhang Nan-Liu Cheng of China in the second round at the Odense Sports Park on Thursday.

Boon Heong said they were pushing hard to qualify for the World Superseries Finals in Dubai in December.

“We’ve three more Superseries (in France, China and Hong Kong) to qualify,” said Boon Heong.

Only the top eight pairs after the 12-leg Superseries get to play at the Finals. Boon Heong-Hendra, coached by former international Lee Wan Wah, are in seventh position.

Meanwhile, the challenge of seventh seed Lee Chong Wei and Chow Mei Kuan-Lee Meng Yean have also ended in the second round.

Malaysia’s only hope is on Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie in the quarter-finals.

The world No. 14 mixed doubles pair will take on Denmark’s Niclas Nohr-Sara Thygesen.