Lee Chong Wei admits BAM performance role ‘not easy’ as he adapts to new generation

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — National badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has admitted that his role as Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) Performance Committee chairman has not been easy, particularly when making decisions involving players from a different generation.

Chong Wei, who was appointed to the position on October 18 last year, said the generational differences between today's players and those of his era made implementing changes challenging, requiring him to continue learning and adapting.

The former world number one men's singles player said he frequently sought the views and advice of BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz before making important decisions.

“It’s not easy because the generation (of badminton players) is not the same now, I learnt a lot from this generation.

“I always call Tengku (for advice) and discuss with the president, sometimes as performance committee chairman, it’s not easy to make the decision,” he said in the second episode of Ngopi Dengan Zafrul, hosted by Tengku Zafrul on YouTube.

However, the three-time Olympic silver medallist said he was not afraid of public criticism when carrying out his responsibilities, provided he was confident that his decisions were in the best interests of national badminton.

“There will be public reaction, I accept all the public noise because you want to do the right thing, while some people may not agree,” he said.

Chong Wei said his involvement with BAM after retiring in 2019 was also motivated by his desire to give back to the governing body, which had supported him throughout his nearly two decades with the national squad.

He also stressed that discipline was essential for badminton players seeking success at the highest level.

He said players had limited careers and needed to be willing to make sacrifices to improve their performance, including maintaining their fitness and physical strength.

The 44-year-old badminton icon also reminded players not to waste opportunities while they were still competing and to take advice from those with greater experience seriously.

On the development of national sports, Chong Wei called for greater private sector involvement, saying government assistance alone might not be sufficient to meet the needs of various sports.

He cited Japan, China and South Korea as examples of countries where private companies played an important role in developing sports and providing sponsorship for athletes and teams. — Bernama

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吉隆坡，10 月 31 日讯——马来西亚羽毛球传奇人物拿督斯里李宗伟承认，他担任马来西亚羽毛球协会（BAM）绩效委员会主席一职并不容易，尤其是在涉及不同世代球员的决策方面。

去年10月18日被任命为该职位的李宗伟表示，如今的球员与他那个时代的球员之间存在代际差异，这使得推行变革充满挑战，需要他不断学习和适应。

这位前世界排名第一的男子单打选手表示，在做出重要决定之前，他经常征求马来西亚羽毛球协会主席东姑拿督斯里扎夫鲁·阿卜杜勒·阿齐兹的意见和建议。

“这并不容易，因为现在的羽毛球运动员和以前不一样了，我从这一代人身上学到了很多东西。”

“我总是打电话给 Tengku（征求意见）并与总统讨论，有时作为绩效委员会主席，做出决定并不容易，”他在 Tengku Zafrul 在 YouTube 上主持的 Ngopi Dengan Zafrul 第二集中说道。

然而，这位三次获得奥运会银牌的选手表示，只要他确信自己的决定符合国家羽毛球的最大利益，他就不会害怕在履行职责时受到公众的批评。

“肯定会有公众的反应，我接受所有的公众舆论，因为你想做正确的事，即使有些人可能不同意，”他说。

李宗伟表示，他在 2019 年退役后参与马来西亚羽毛球协会的活动，也是出于回馈该协会的愿望，该协会在他为国家队效力的近二十年时间里一直支持着他。

他还强调，纪律对于想要在最高水平赛事中取得成功的羽毛球运动员来说至关重要。

他表示，球员的职业生涯有限，需要愿意做出牺牲来提高自己的表现，包括保持体能和身体素质。

这位 44 岁的羽毛球传奇人物还提醒球员们不要浪费比赛机会，要认真听取更有经验的人的建议。

关于国家体育的发展，李宗伟呼吁私营部门更多地参与其中，称仅靠政府援助可能不足以满足各种体育项目的需求。

他以日本、中国和韩国为例，指出在这些国家，私营企业在发展体育运动以及赞助运动员和运动队方面发挥了重要作用。——马新社

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