KUCHING: A badminton training programme jointly undertaken by Pacific Badminton Management (PBM) and Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) has begun to bear fruits.
GOOD SHOWING: PBM players pose for a group photo after the State Junior Selection Tournament ended at SBA Hall yesterday.
Positive results as some U-18 Boys selected to represent S’wak at national junior circuit
PBM proprietor Dominic Lim said yesterday that the programme which commenced in 2005 is now producing results especially in the U-18 boys whereby the shuttlers are now being selected to represent Sarawak at the national junior circuits.
“By 2015, I am expecting the players training under this programme to win medals at Sukma,” Lim said when met at SBA Hall at Jalan Lapangan Terbang.
This year alone, five PBM players, namely Clement Chieng, Gerald Ong, Jong Wee Fook, Lai Zing Neng and Andy Ng made it to the last 16 at the National Junior Circuit held in Pahang.
“Chieng was the U-14 boys singles gold medallist in the 100Plus BAM National Junior Circuit Sarawak/Sabah Zone held from Apr 23-25 and he partnered Ong to win the U-14 boys doubles gold while Jong partnered James Liaw of Miri Badminton Association to win the U-16 boys doubles gold,” said Lim.
Ng and Lai meanwhile were the U-18 boys doubles gold medallists while Michelle Kong took the silver in the U-16 girls singles.
Lim said although Roni Tan, Andy Ng, Jong Wee Fook and Lai Zing Neng did not win any medal at the recent Sukma XIII in Melaka, they gave their opponents from other states a good fight and lost by close margins.
At the State Junior Selection Tournament held at SBA Hall from July 9 to 11, PBM put up an outstanding display to win the U-18 boys singles through Roni Tan, U-18 boys doubles through Roni Tan and Lai Zing Neng, and the U-18 girls singles through Michelle Kong.
“I am quite pleased with the performance of my players in this selection and it has also provided them with good exposure,” said Lim.
The three players will represent Sarawak in the National Junior Circuit Inter Team Badminton Championship in Kuala Lumpur from August 5-8.
“We now have an elite group of players ranging from age 10 to 18 who are guided by three trainers at Kota Sentosa Sports Centre. They train for two hours four times weekly and when nearing any competition, the training sessions will be doubled to eight times a week,” added Lim.
He said exposure was very important for the players from age 10-18 and by 19-21 they must be winning in the national tournaments.
Lim said the PBM-SBA training programme is sponsored by Naim Cendera Holdings, Kimgress Marketing, Bayu Sempora and the Sarawak State Sports Council.
“The players are also given cash incentives or sports equipment for doing well at national meets. This is a form of encouragement for them to excel in the sport,” he said.