A TRIPARTITE working committee will be formed soon to look into the setting up of a badminton academy for the northern region in Penang.
This was agreed upon by the Penang government, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the Penang Badminton Association (PBA) when a BAM delegation paid a courtesy call on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow at his office in Komtar today.
The delegation, headed by BAM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria, comprised BAM deputy president Datuk Lim Teong Kiat, secretary Datuk Ng Chin Chai, assistant secretary Mohd Taupik Hussain, general manager Michelle Chai, BAM academy head Dr Suresh Kumar, PBA president Kah Kau Kiak and PBA secretary Leong Kin Weng.
Also present was state Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee, who will help look into a suitable site of about three to five acres.
“This is monumental, a game changer as far as badminton here is concerned. This is going to be the first time a BAM badminton academy is out of Kuala Lumpur. And Penang, being passionate about badminton, is the right place to increase the talent pool,” said Norza, who is also the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia.
Chow, who was shown a brief presentation of the BAM Badminton Academy in Bukit Kiara, was supportive of BAM’s proposal to build the academy in the state. Besides Penang, the academy would cater for Kedah, Perak and Perlis.
On a separate note, Norza said former world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei began his first day of training today after playing competitively in the Indonesian Open in July last year. Shortly after that, he underwent two-and-a-half month treatment after being diagnosed with early stage nose cancer.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Law Suun Ting