Bukit jalil: The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) will review the implications of splitting up national men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, which might affect their standing in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme. Youth and Sports Minister Dr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari stated that the RTG committee will study the effects of restructuring involving athletes in the programme in detail before any decision is made. "The most important thing is the athlete themselves, their capabilities and performance. RTG is based on the athlete, so when restructuring happens, it will be discussed at the RTG committee level. We will update the developments after the discussion is carried out by the committee," he told reporters after officiating the Women In Sports seminar at Bukit Jalil here today.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr. Mohammed Taufiq Johari also noted that Aaron-Wooi Yik's status as the world number two men's pair is a factor that needs to be considered. "So, we need to review the restructuring at the RTG as the programme is based on the athlete's capabilities and ranking," he said. Last Saturday, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz confirmed that they would split up the pairing of Aaron-Wooi Yik and Tee Kai Wun-Man Wei Chong as part of long term plans to strengthen the national men's doubles ahead of the Olympic qualifiers next year.
In a separate development, Dr. Mohammed Taufiq emphasized that KBS would not interfere in matters related to the Asian Football Confederation's full audit into the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), including calls that the report be disclosed to the public and tabled in Parliament. Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has previously urged that the audit report be disclosed to allow the FAM governance issue to be debated comprehensively. "We are open to any effort to increase transparency, audits and such. But we do not interfere matters relating to associations and the necessary steps needed to be taken by relevant parties to ensure things can be done well," he added.