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'Wajib menang Piala Thomas'


AHMAD Shabery (dua dari kiri) menikmati makan tengah hari bersama pemain Piala Thomas di Stadium Juara, semalam.
MENTERI Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek meningkatkan pertaruhan kepada Persatuan Badminton Malaysia (BAM) dengan menuntut bahawa skuad lelaki wajib memenangi kejohanan Piala Thomas yang akan dianjurkan Kuala Lumpur, Mei ini.

Dengan kekalahan bukan satu pilihan mahu pun satu alasan, tuntutan Ahmad Shabery itu kini harus disahut BAM yang sebelum ini tidak menyatakan sasarannya tetapi lebih cenderung menghukum jurulatih bagi sebagai kegagalan skuad badminton di Piala Thomas nanti.

“Ya, kita mesti menang Piala Thomas kali ini,” kata Ahmad Shabery dalam lawatan ke kem latihan skuad badminton kebangsaan di Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara, semalam. Turut sama, Ketua Pengarah Majlis Sukan Negara (MSN), Datuk Zolkples Embong.


Menurut Shabery, dengan beraksi di gelanggang sendiri serta sokongan penonton tempat, pasti ia akan memberi kelebihan kepada skuad lelaki mencapai sasaran meraih gelaran Piala Thomas dan seharusnya tiada sebarang sebab untuk berdepan dengan kegagalan.

“Kita tahu ini (Piala Thomas) satu pertarungan yang besar tetapi kita mesti menang. Ia dilangsungkan di tempat kita sendiri dan kita mempunyai sejarah dalam kejohanan ini di mana kita pernah menghasilkan kejayaan yang memeranjatkan apabila diadakan di tempat kita.

“Saya rasa kali ini kita juga boleh melakukannya... kita mempunyai pemain. Kita ada dua beregu yang saya rasa setanding walaupun prestasi mereka turun naik tetapi kalau bermain di tempat sendiri kita ada kelebihan dengan sokongan penonton. 

“Jika gagal macam mana kita hendak memberi keyakinan kita mampu menang emas di London (Sukan Olimpik 2012). Badminton harus berjaya menerbitkan pencapaian cemerlang setiap masa sebelum London, kemudian baru kita boleh katakan kita sekurang-kurangnya 90 peratus pasti akan memenangi emas di Olimpik kelak."

Oleh Lukman Salleh
lukmsal@bharian.com.my

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