Kuala Lumpur: Three days after the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) said that they would not register both Lee Zii Jia and Goh Jin Wei for international tournaments for two years, the association announced on Monday that reigning All England champion Lee Zii Jia had filed a notice to appeal the ruling of BAM.
Below is the message from BAM:
“Recent event Lee Zii Jia’s resignation from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the subsequent decision by the BAM Council to not register him for international tournaments for two years, has had a profound impact not only on the badminton fraternity but on the people of Malaysia as well.
We are fully aware of the outpouring anger and frustration, and we truly understand the disappointment expressed towards the Association. This situation has been extremely challenging and has garnered attention from all parties, from politicians to international players. We appreciate all the comments, criticisms, and overall feedback directed towards us. We will take note of the passionate sentiments expressed by our fellow Malaysians.
As a responsible national institution, we have an established set of processes and procedures that must be followed. The actions by the BAM Council were based on these official procedures with the information that was presented to them. However, it is important to note that this decision is not without avenues of appeal.
Within the history of our institution, all players have the right to appeal the decisions made by the Council and the BAM takes this appeal into full consideration thus acting accordingly. Hence, BAM can also confirm that we have received an appeal letter from Lee Zii Jia today. As the custodian of national badminton interest, we are looking into the matter with great urgency to find an amicable resolve.
BAM is here to protect not only the sport, but the players, values, and standards that best represent our beloved country.
”
It didn’t take long for badminton fans to respond to BAM’s post. A Facebook user responded with a comment below:
“Demi malaysia? By ban the player? Do you think demi malaysia? Instead ruin the player career and lead to negative impact… We Hope BAM make a wise & matured decision…”, while BAM replied to the comment with “The decision reached by the Council to not register him for international tournaments is always open for appeal and we have received the appeal from ZJ today. We are urgently looking to reach a solution.”
There are a lot more interesting comments from badminton fans that can be found right below that BAM post. Please feel free to click on the link above to read those comments yourself.
