ATHLETES can get bored and disinterested when they do not compete for a long time.
That is why (BAM organised a "durian party" for the 16 shuttlers, who are undergoing a quarantine-style Road To Tokyo (RTT) programme at the Academy Badminton Malaysia recently.
The thorny king of fruits party was to prevent bluntness and blandness from creeping into the players' game. BAM aim to keep their trainees fresh and sharp.
The players have been together since June 1 and the first phase of training will end on June 30. BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh said coaching director Wong Choong Hann hosted a "durian party" for the players to cheer them up.
"Anyone will get bored in such a condition. However, we spiced it up a bit by having a 'durian party'. We also celebrated a player's birthday recently.
"Players are feeling bored. They have not played in tournaments for a long time. However, it will be business as usual when the season restarts in September," said Kenny yesterday.
Kenny disclosed that the shuttlers are showing great commitment in preparing for tournaments.
Meanwhile, Choong Hann said: "The players have adapted well to the training sessions under strict guidelines. They were going through the recovery phase for the last three weeks.
"There are two targets during this RTT session — getting the players back into shape and improving their overall strength," said Choong Hann on the BAM Facebook page.
