One for the album: Datuk Jack Koh (right) posing with the winners of the NCT Grand Prix along with former international Kwan Yoke Meng (left). — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Jack Koh has welcomed the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) move to work more closely with professional clubs in the country to produce more young talents.
BAM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria said in a council meeting last week that the national body were looking into ways to collaborate with more clubs in an effort to increase the talent pool in the country.
Jack, who is the chief executive officer of Petaling Badminton Club, believes this is a good move and hopes it will lead to clubs becoming more commercial and independent.
“If you see clubs in Japan, Thailand and Denmark, they are more commercial and independent and we hope to go that way too,” said Jack.
“We now see BAM are more open to working with clubs and this is a good start.
“To produce the next Olympic champion, we need to work together to make sure the right ecosystem is in place.
“We (Petaling BC) have worked well with BAM before. Players like men’s doubles pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and mixed doubles star Chen Tang Jie were from Petaling BC.
“We hope to develop more players at the grassroots level,” added Jack.
Petaling BC’s latest successful initiative was the NCT National Junior Badminton Championships which attracted 5000 participants from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Sabah, Penang and Melaka.
The circuit’s Grand Prix Finale was held over four days from May 30 to June 2 at the Sports Arena Sentosa in Kuala Lumpur where 40 youngsters were crowned champions in the boys and girls Under-9, Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15 singles and doubles categories.
Four lucky winners will get to watch their idols in action in the Paris Olympics next month.
The lucky winners chosen were Muhd Noor Hanafi (boys’ Under-13 doubles), Chong Wan Xin (girls’ singles Under-13), Lim Zheng Jie (boys’ singles Under-15) and Teoh Sue Mei (girls’ Under 15).
Boys
Under-15
Singles: Lim Zheng Jie bt Cheng Kai Sheng 7-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-2, 11-7.
Doubles: Albee Loh-Chin Tze Hao bt Liew Kai Xuan-Zayden Lee 11-9, 11-6, 11-7.
Under-13
Singles: Yeoh Han Son bt Derrick Leung 11-4, 12-10, 11-9.
Doubles: Derrick Leung-Muhd Noor Hanafi bt Ng Chia Tin bt Putra Assolihin Hamim 11-4, 9-11, 12-10, 11-3.
Under-11
Singles: Danial Mukhriz Musa bt Poh Shao Qi 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-8.
Doubles: Danial Mukhriz Musa-G. Sanjev bt Eden Chong-Poh Shao Qi 11-6, 11-4, 10-12, 11-13, 11-9.
Under-9
Singles: Chung Cheuk Kiu bt Yee Jia Kang 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10.
Girls
Under-15
Singles: Teoh Sue Mei bt S. Hasyni Devi 4-11, 11-8, 14-12, 9-11, 12-10.
Doubles: Auni Fatihin Azuan-How Yin Xuan bt Mirza Batrisiya Nazri-Tan Yi Xuan 11-6, 9-11, 11-8, 11-1.
Under-13
Singles: Chong Wan Xin bt Ungku Iman Zahirah Nur Firdaus 11-5, 11-4, 11-3.
Doubles: Tan Zhi Ying-Yong Hui Teng bt Ivy Liau-G. Thanisha 11-6, 13-11, 11-6.
Under-11
Singles: Ko Zhi Ching bt Liew Xin Yan 7-11, 10-12, 11-4, 12-10, 11-6.
Doubles: Lim Xue Er-Ng Mean Han bt E Xing Nian-E Xing Nee 11-9, 13-11, 10-12, 9-11, 11-6.
Under-9
Singles: Adriana Delysha Amzari bt Dayang Nur Tiara Alisha Mohd Hahrin 11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 11-5.
FINAL RESULTS
