It’s in your hands
Billy: Shuttlers hold the key to their own success
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Billy Ng Seow Meng has seen many changes in badminton since being part of the successful team that won the 1967 Thomas Cup Finals.
However, he said one thing should remain the same – badminton players should be held accountable for not producing the desired results.
There have been varied opinions on what went wrong since Malaysia returned from the Thomas-Uber Cup Finals in Bangkok, Thailand, recently. There have also been calls for a change in the training and coaching systems.
The men’s team, led by 35-year-old Lee Chong Wei, crashed out in the quarter-finals while the women – headed by Vivian Hoo – failed to clear the group stage.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will hold their post-mortem soon and their president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria admits the focus has to be on young blood.
The 78-year-old Billy, who is the elder brother to former top woman shuttler Sylvia Ng during the late 60s and 70s, says BAM have been doing their part but the success of a player is dependent on himself or herself.
“The BA of Malaysia have done quite okay. They tried to provide the best, they have looked for new players but there are not many,” said Billy, who won a bronze medal at the 1966 Asian Games.
“There are talents but they must work hard to attain success. The organisation can support, the coaches can guide but ultimately, it’s up to the players.
“The BAM give everything to the players – better facilities, more opportunities and better perks but I’m puzzled that the results are not forthcoming. It boils down to the players.
“They are responsible when they are on court – they’ve to decide how to play against their opponents.
“It takes sacrifices. It’s not easy ... are our players ready to give up everything to pursue their badminton careers?
Billy had to give up his studies to pursue badminton and his team had to choose which tournaments to play in as their employers did not allow them to take leave easily.
“We’ve to support ourselves and play. The opportunities were scarce but we had good results. Of course, the situation was different then.
But one thing should not change – it’s the self determination and hard work put in by the players.”
Billy’s grandson, Thomas Ng Zi Xuan, is playing badminton and the former said: “I told him to focus on studies. It’s difficult to balance both.
“I’ve never seen any children of former greats making it big in badminton. But Thomas is quite keen and I’m fully supportive of his endeavour.”