Where Are Our Back Up Players?

First off, I would like to congratulate Lee Chong Wei (LCW) for having won a record equalling eight Malaysian Open badminton titles. The only other Malaysian to have done so was the legendary Wong Peng Soon.

Star Sport 16 January 2012

Wong Peng Soon is still regarded as the best Malaysian player ever. At least I think so.

I want to congratulate LCW not only because he has managed to win his 8th Malaysian Open title, but also that in the process he had managed to get the better of China's Chen Long who was beginning to terrorise him lately just like Lin Dan has consistently in the past and still does.

And also because in the Korea Open earlier, LCW had also gotten the better of Lin Dan to win his first open title of the new year.

But Lee Chong Wei has to get the better of his nemesis Lin Dan on a consistent basis for me to finally hail him as the best badminton player of the world.

But where are our back up players? There does not appear to be anybody who is in a position to take over from LCW once he retires from the game. Remember that Lee Chong Wei is nearing 30 and he can't be playing badminton forever.

Our doubles department too looks in dire straits. Our current best double pair of Koo Kien Kiet and Tan Boon Heong are a pale shadow of their former selves. Their decline started since the tournament (I have forgotten the name of the tournament) where Koo Kien Kiet had promised to go bald if they won it but only partially fulfilled his promise by going GI.

There also does not appear to be any promising new double pair who could step in to fill the gap.

What are the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) doing about the lack of back up players?

BAM is probably the richest badminton association in the world. Our coaches are paid fat salaries compared to badminton coaches in other parts of the world.

The badminton players under BAM have all the facilities other badminton players/associations in the world would die for, yet we are not producing any promising back up shuttlers.

For all the investments, the returns are not commensurate.

Is there something grossly wrong with how BAM is going about their business?