All together now for shuttlers on July 1

The national badminton team training is set to return to full swing on July 1.

The remaining 22 members of the senior team will report for duty at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) next Wednesday, confirmed national coaching director Wong Choong Hann.

It was initially thought that the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) would only allow back-up members shortlisted for the Thomas and Uber Cup squads into the training.

But, according to the list of returning players released yesterday, 16-year-old K. Letshanaa, the newest national team trainee in the women’s singles department, is also included. so it is safe to say that no one has been left out in the second phase.

They will join the first batch of 15 shuttlers, including eight Road to Tokyo (RTT) athletes, who had been placed under a strict quarantined-based centralised training for 30 days since June 1.

Choong Hann said all the returning players need not be quarantined as the RTT centralised training camp will end by next Tuesday.

“Players and coaches will no longer have to be quarantined as we enter the second phase (post-MCO) of training next week,” said Choong Hann.

“The training will run as usual but of course there will still be standard operating procedures for us to adhere to.

“The administration is finalising things, but it will certainly not be as strict as what he have been put through in the one-month training camp.”

Choong Hann also confirmed that newly-appointed women’s doubles head coach Chan Chong Ming will be joining the team next Wednesday, but not Indonesian men’s doubles head coach Flandi Limpele.

“Chong Ming will assume his duties on July 1, but we’re uncertain about Flandi as efforts are still ongoing to secure the approval for him to come here,” said Choong Hann.

“We definitely want him to join us as soon as possible.”