SIBU: Kawasaki Badminton Club (KBC) is confident of producing good players within two to three years under its development programme.
The club’s chief coach, Li Mao said they had already groomed six to seven elite players who were expected to deliver results when competing in international tournaments.
“Besides, we also have the second-tier players who will be able to take over from the seniors when the time comes,” he told the media at a press conference yesterday.
Li, a former national singles coach and the man responsible for grooming world No. 1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei, is expected to grace the opening ceremony of the Thumb’s Up Kawasaki Age-group Badminton Championship to be held at Thumb’s Up Badminton Academy at 9am today.
Among the big names who came from KBC were former BAM player Chan Kwong Beng, Mohd Razif Latif and 2003 All England champion Muhd Hafiz Hashim.
Others club members who are representing Kuala Lumpur include last year’s first runner-up Chiang Jiang Shiang, Loke Kok Peng and Woo Kok Hung.
They are expected to play in the Men’s Open which offers a prize money of RM2,200 for the champion, RM1,200 for the first runner-up and RM500 for each of the semi-finalists.
In the doubles event, the annual tournament had attracted entries which include defending champion Mohd Zakry Latif/Mohd Fairuzizuan who will meet other well-known contenders like Mohd Razif Latif/Hafiz Hashim.
The champion in the men’s doubles will bring home RM3,000 while the first runner-up will get RM2,000 and each semi-finalists will get RM500.
Li singled out Chan as the star to watch, saying the 24-year-old possessed good qualities and skills to become the champion.
Chan had returned home from the recent Vietnam Badminton Open with a gold medal in hand.
Li said they were not putting any pressure on the players and were concerned more about participation rather than winning medals.
“Our aim is to ensure that we can produce a steady stream of good players so as to carve a name for KBC,” the coach said who disclosed the club had 40 members who were playing under KBC’s brand name.
He said KBC was only registered early last year and had to-date, produced encouraging results.
“Our stable of players include those from Maldives, Estonia, New Zealand, Sweden, South Africa with Indonesia making up the bulk,” he added.
He invited local badminton enthusiasts to join the club to hone their skills and improve on their standard.