SEA GAMES: BAM SENDING TOP GUNS TO RESTORE COUNTRY'S DIGNITY - KENNY

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 (Bernama) -- The decision to send the big guns to the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand is made as a matter of national pride, said Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh.

Kenny, also the national deputy chef de mission (CDM), said the decision was made by the coaches following an in-depth discussion.

In the previous edition in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Malaysia sent their backup squad and suffered a harrowing experience, returning home with just two silver and four bronze medals.

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"It so happens that there are no major tournaments this year. So, we felt that this is the most opportune time for us to make a decision that benefits the country… as this involves restoring the country's dignity (in badminton in the region).

"So, we felt the time was right for us to send our strongest squad,” he said during a visit to the diving training venue with CDM Nurul Huda Abdullah here yesterday.

Kenny also said that the Dec 9-20 SEA Games-bound shuttlers, should they qualify, would have no problems competing in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, from Dec 17-20.

He added that this was because badminton events would begin earlier on Dec 7, two days before the official opening ceremony of the biennial Games, and be completed on Dec 15.

"I feel that we do have sufficient time to make any necessary logistics planning for Hangzhou,” he said.

According to the BWF World Tour Finals format, only the top eight singles players and pairs in the BWF World Tour rankings qualify for the Finals, limited to a maximum of two representatives from each country per category.

Based on the 2025 BWF World Tour Finals ranking, four Malaysian pairs listed for the Thailand SEA Games are in the top eight positions: Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men's doubles, second position); Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (men's doubles, fourth); Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah (women's doubles, first); and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles, sixth).

Besides the four pairs, Malaysia will also be banking on Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh (men's singles); K. Letshanaa and Wong Ling Ching (women's singles); Go Pei Kee-Teoh Mei Xing (women's doubles); and Hoo Pang Ron-Cheng Su Yin (mixed doubles) in this year's edition of the biennial Games.

All those listed will also compete in their respective team events, and will be aided by Eogene Ewe and Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin in the men's team event and by Siti Zulaikha Muhammad Azmi and Eng Ler Qi in the women's team event.

-- BERNAMA