KUALA LUMPUR: To minimise distractions for the shuttlers, particularly those bound for the Paris Olympics, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has decided to reduce the number of media 'open days' from two to one at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM).
Under the new guidelines, media personnel are required to inform the BAM media department of the players they wish to interview and arrangements will be made accordingly on Wednesday.
This directive will take effect starting next week and continue until after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics in August.
Currently, the media only have access to players and coaches at ABM on Tuesdays and Fridays.
According to BAM media manager Falah Abdullah, the decision was in response to a request from the coaches, who expressed a desire for players to maintain focus on their training without the added pressure of media attention.
The restriction on media exposure to activities at the national training centre is understandable, as coaches likely want to prevent their training regimen from being leaked to rivals, especially during these critical stages.
"Of the eight shuttlers who have qualified for the Paris Games, only the three doubles pairs are currently training at ABM.
These pairs include Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik (men's doubles), Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women's doubles) and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles).
Lee Zii Jia (men's singles) and Goh Jin Wei (women's singles, who have qualified for the Olympics, are professional players who train independently at their respective bases.
