Among Malaysians, there are a handful of things that really bring us together. A couple of those things are our shared passion for food and sports, especially badminton.
However, where there's a sport we love, there's also bound to be some drama. It looks like the Malaysian badminton scene is facing yet another problem, this time revolving around the attire adorned with sponsor logos.
The controversy came to light when Wong Tat Meng, the coach of national shuttler Lee Zii Jia, took to Instagram to voice his concerns. In a lengthy post, he accused the Badminton Association Malaysia (BAM) of subjecting professional players within its ranks to bullying.
Bullying Over Attire Policy
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As per Wong's post, Zii Jia had been regularly attending training sessions with BAM and their promising players every Wednesday at the BAM Academy in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. This practice had been ongoing since December 2022, proving mutually beneficial in enhancing the players' performance levels.
However, the situation took an unexpected turn when BAM supposedly introduced a new regulation mandating players to sport attire showcasing the logos of the national team's sponsors during these sessions. This is where the crux of the issue arises. For those familiar with Zii Jia's journey, it's evident that he is sponsored by Victor, a Taiwanese sports equipment brand. On the flip side, BAM-affiliated players are currently under contract with Yonex for a five-year term starting from 2021.
Here's Zii Jia’s jersey rocking the Victor logo.
“I was shocked when the rule was introduced, considering the fact that it was implemented during preparations for the World Championships. Not only has this created a sponsorship dispute for Zii Jia, but for the coaching staff, fitness and physio experts too.”
As a result, both Zii Jia and Wong found themselves excluded from the invitation-only training sessions at ABM before their departure for Denmark. Wong further asserts that these regulations seem to align with BAM's assertion that both national and professional players should share the spotlight equally whenever the team attains success.
Nevertheless, he stated that he's addressing this issue in order to clarify any misconceptions that he and Zii Jia are uncooperative with BAM. He expressed his optimism for future conversations to take place.
Lee Chong Wei Tells Wong And Zii Jia To Stop Complaining
Knowing Lee Chong Wei, he’s not someone to lose his cool so easily but since the statement from Wong surfaced, he’s voiced out his thoughts about the whole situation and slammed the two for stirring up trouble.
“The other professional players like Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (men’s doubles) and Goh Jin Wei (women’s singles) are not complaining, so why is he and his coach, who only joined him a month ago, getting angry?”
“At first, they allowed the players to wear any apparel but Yonex has strict rules. I don’t understand why Zii Jia and his coach are now making a big fuss over this. You need to follow the rules if you want to train in BAM,” said Chong Wei in an interview with The Star
Previously Zii Jia has been in a series of slumps after having multiple early knockouts during his tournaments. He even shared his emotions with an emotional song.
Read: Zii Jia Shares His Feelings Through Emotional Song After Tournament Defeat
@leyamirah lets cry! #leeziijia ♬ original sound - Leyamirah
For now, Chong Wei still believes that Zii Jia is one of Malaysia’s best bets at winning gold in the Paris Olympics and that he should be cooperating with BAM and others if he wants to succeed. For now, Zii Jia nor Wong has responded to the statement but Chong Wei also believes Zii Jia will be mature about the ongoing issue.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.
*Sources: Visual and Reference Credits to Social Media, The Star & various cross-references for context.
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