FORMER national shuttler Roslin Hashim has urged the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to act more wisely on the issue of requiring professional players not to wear clothes from brands other than those of the parent body’s sponsors if they want to practise at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara.

The ex-men’s singles player said BAM should already know professional players  sign with different sponsors before it enforced the rule.

“What is BAM’s motive for doing this? For example, if Lee Zii Jia (LZJ) enters training at ABM and has to wear its (BAM’s) sponsors’ attire, of course the sponsor (of Lee Zii Jia) will sue. Does BAM want to pay a lawsuit? Why does the BAM management not understand this?

“In the sponsorship contract, it is stated professional players must wear their (sponsors’) attire in training sessions and tournaments. That’s why they are afraid of being sued (if they wear attire other than that of their respective sponsors) or paying a fine, because the (penalty) is not small,” he told Bernama.

He said BAM should have discussed the requirement with professional players first.

BAM last year let professionals train at ABM on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Roslin said the sponsors’-uniform-only rule is new since no such issue had arisen until recently.

“During the 2023 Sudirman Cup training camp, there were no issues like this. Even when I was a professional player and trained with BAM, I was not required to wear its sponsors’ outfits,” he said.

Yesterday, “Team LZJ” coaching director Wong Tat Meng said in an Instagram post he was surprised and felt like he was being “bullied by big shots” as the rule was enforced ahead of the August 21 to 27 Badminton World Championships in Copenhagen.

“BAM often says no matter national or professional players, they are all Malaysian players, and the glory is shared together,” he said, adding that he wants to discuss the matter with BAM soon.

LZJ in the comments of Wong’s post said: “Don’t say that I’m ‘big-headed’ for not coming to training. Aishhhhh… it’s so hard to be LZJ, it’s all my fault, I’m dizzy.”

BAM administrative director Michelle Chai said the rule was established to protect the interests of BAM’s investors. – Bernama, August 17, 2023.