Chong Wei hopes for happy ending to BAM-Misbun controversy

KUALA LUMPUR - National badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei wants to see an amicable settlement to the spat between the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and its former junior singles coaching director Datuk Misbun Sidek.

However, Chong Wei said it was up to Misbun to decide whether to accept the olive branch extended by BAM.

"Let Misbun himself decide. We can’t do anything but at least BAM has done its part. I hope this issue will not be blown up and will be resolved as soon as possible,” he told a press conference yesterday.

Yesterday, BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria overruled a task force’s decision and made two offers to Misbun, including to finish his original contract, which ends at the end of the year, as junior singles coaching director with the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM).

Alternatively, Misbun can have a face-to-face meeting with BAM to settle the issue amicably.

The offers were made to Misbun after the task force, headed by BAM deputy president Datuk V. Subramaniam, decided to terminate his service after investigating the national squad’s failure at the Asian Junior Championships 2023 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, last month.

Last Friday, Subramaniam told a press conference that Misbun and BAM had mutually agreed to part ways.

However, on Monday Misbun disputed Subramaniam’s statement, saying his service was terminated after he attended the task force meeting to present a post-mortem report on the team’s failure in Yogyakarta.

The national squad performed poorly in Yogyakarta, losing to defending champions Thailand 3-0 in the quarter-finals of the mixed team competition and failing to enter the semi-finals of the individual events.

Chong Wei was aware of the criticisms hurled against BAM but said all quarters should accept what had happened as badminton was a sport closely followed by the people.

Meanwhile, Subramaniam said the task force was not picking on Misbun as it would continue with its evaluation of the junior doubles camp in Yogyakarta, which was guided by doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky.

"You see, that (decision on Misbun) was the first step the task force has taken. (Doubles) we have to look into it as the time comes as we cannot do all at one go,” he said. - BERNAMA