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Sasaran menteri, BAM tak sama

Ahmad Shabery mahu Piala Thomas tapi persatuan kata separuh akhir saja

SASARAN juara sudah ditetapkan Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, tetapi Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) sekadar berani menjanjikan skuad negara layak ke separuh akhir Piala Thomas di Kuala Lumpur, Mei ini.

Setiausaha Kehormat BAM, Ganga Rao menganggap pandangan Ahmad Shabery itu adalah tanggapan seorang menteri, tetapi hakikat sebenarnya hanya diketahui pemain dan jurulatih.

"Kita harus melihat secara realistik," kata Ganga pada sidang akhbar selepas mesyuarat jawatankuasa kejurulatihan di ibu pejabat BAM, semalam. "Sebagai menteri, sudah tentu beliau perlu meletakkan sasaran tertinggi buat skuad negara.

"Walaupun sasaran kami untuk Piala Thomas ialah layak ke separuh akhir manakala bagi Uber pula, ia bergantung kepada undian pemain, tidak bermakna pemain tidak akan berjuang lebih daripada itu.

"Jika layak ke separuh akhir, hanya tinggal dua pertarungan sebelum bergelar juara dan dari situ perjuangan sebenar akan bermula," katanya. 

Pada mesyuarat berkenaan yang turut dihadiri ketua jurulatih perseorangan, Rashid Sidek dan ketua jurulatih beregu kebangsaan, Rexy Mainaky, BAM turut mengumumkan senarai pemain yang akan menyertai kem Bina Semangat Piala Thomas dan Uber pada 23 sehingga 24 April ini.

Senarai penuh pemain untuk kejohanan itu hanya akan diumumkan dua minggu sebelum tarikh kejohanan. Menurut Ganga, peluang bagi pemain veteran menyertai skuad kebangsaan masih ada jika mempamerkan prestasi cemerlang pada Seluruh England pada 9 sehingga 14 Mac ini.

"BAM juga akan melihat penyertaan ke kejohanan kecil lain bagi pendedahan kepada pemain muda," kata Ganga. "Jadi mereka boleh mencuba meraih kejuaraan tanpa perlu bersaing dengan pemain ranking lebih tinggi dari negara sendiri."

Oleh Syed Riduan Ahmad
smriduan@nstp.com.my

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