Kuala Lumpur: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has set at least a gold medal as its benchmark for the badminton squad to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
“This means players will have to work harder from now,” said BAM acting president Tan Sri Mohamed Al Amin Abdul Majid when speaking at the presentation of BAM incentives to the Olympic badminton squad at Juara Stadium, Bukit Kiara here today.
According to him, young players could make the badminton Olympic squad as their icons to boost their performance in the tournaments they participate in.
Mohamed Al Amin later presented cash incentives amounting to RM1.4 million.
“At the ceremony, we also invited junior players so that they could derive inspiration from the Olympic medalists. We want to show them…if you work hard, if you strive for success, you will be well rewarded.”
The incentives were given to all Olympic medal winners and their coaches as and players in action at the Olympics, sparring partners (Iskandar Zulkarnain and Tan Kian Ming), BAM officers and National Sports Institute (ISN) personnel.
National singles champion, Datuk Lee Chong Wei led the incentive recipients when he received RM250,000 while men’s doubles pair of Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong and mixed doubles pair of Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying received RM375,000 for each pair.
Meanwhile, four coaches of Olympic medalists, Hendrawan, Tey Seu Bock, Chin Ee Hui and Jeremy Gan received RM30,000 each.
Women’s singles player Tee Jing Yi and women’s doubles pair of Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei received RM10,000 each person.
— Bernama
