Kuala Lumpur: The Road to Gold (RTG) Committee will assist professional badminton players within its program in identifying more suitable training venues, as announced by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. She highlighted that the RTG Committee recognizes the current challenge faced by these athletes, who are training in halls that are accessible to the public.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Hannah expressed the need for more private training locations for these professional athletes. She noted that the current training environments, such as shopping malls, allow public access, which may not be ideal for focused training. Hannah believes that RTG Programme coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam will facilitate the necessary support to address this issue.
Hannah made these comments while speaking to reporters at the ASEAN Persons With Disabilities in Sports Conference 2025. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of providing quality sparring partners to enhance the athletes’ performance.
On a related note, last Thursday, Hannah announced that four professional badminton players, including men’s world number one pair Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and mixed doubles duo Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie, have committed to the RTG programme for the 2025 cycle. The RTG project, launched by the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) in April 2023, aims to coordinate Malaysia’s efforts to secure its first Olympic gold medal, with a focus on the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Hannah also mentioned her hopes for a swift resolution to the contract issue involving national women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, whose agreement with the Badminton Association of Malaysia concluded last December. She stressed that any delay in resolving this matter could impact the performance of the world number three pair.
In a separate matter, Hannah stated that KBS would not interfere in the internal issues faced by the Harimau Malaya squad, as they strive to improve their international standing. She explained that it is the responsibility of Football Association of Malaysia president Datuk Mohd Joehari Mohd Ayub to address these challenges.
Recent media reports suggested that Harimau Malaya’s head coach Peter Cklamovski acknowledged the possibility of criticism if they failed to defeat Vietnam. However, Malaysia showcased their strength by defeating Vietnam 4-0 in their second Group F match of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil on June 10.
Earlier, Hannah noted that approximately 240 participants, including representatives from other Southeast Asian countries, attended the two-day conference, which concluded today. The conference, themed ‘Inclusive Sports for All: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges in ASEAN,’ focused on enhancing accessibility and empowering sports participation for persons with disabilities.