Kuala Lumpur: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has expressed her hope that the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will reconsider their decision to split the national mixed doubles pair of Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei. This comes after the pair was included in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hannah emphasized the importance of maintaining stable partnerships within the national team, especially given the government’s financial investment in the athletes. She stated, “I don’t want a situation where doubles shuttlers suddenly want to change partners. It should not be like this because the country (government) has invested money in them, so that’s why we need our athletes to be disciplined.” She further urged BAM and the players to demonstrate their commitment and refrain from making unilateral decisions.

Additionally, Hannah addressed the exclusion of national track cycling ace Datuk Muhammad Azizulhasni Awang from the RTG programme, noting that he is no longer ranked among the world’s top 10. However, she hinted at an upcoming announcement regarding this matter. The national cyclists currently listed under the RTG programme include Mohd Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri.