BAM puts badminton rebuild on 2027 clock

BAM has put 2027 forward as a key year for judging whether its badminton overhaul is working.

By then, the Badminton Association of Malaysia expects its high-performance programme to show gains in results, world rankings, the strength of its player pool and the rise of younger shuttlers.

The benchmark forms part of its Tangkis 2030 strategy, which aims to build a sustainable system capable of producing players and pairs who can challenge for podium finishes at major tournaments.

BAM secretary-general Kenny Goh said the strategy was not built around a single tournament or result, but a set of indicators that would be reviewed over time.

“If the indicators consistently show that something is not working, then we will make changes,” he said.

The response follows Malaysia’s Asian Games campaign, which produced one badminton medal, a bronze for Pearly Tan and M Thinaah.

BAM now wants to strengthen its player pool before the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, with 2027 providing an important checkpoint.

Why the pairings changed

One of the most visible changes is the new men’s doubles partnership of Aaron Chia and Tee Kai Wun following Aaron’s split from Soh Wooi Yik.

Goh said BAM bases its pairing decisions on results, compatibility, technical requirements and the players’ development path.

The decisions are not based on one tournament, he said, and there is no fixed timetable for a new combination.

Players need sufficient time and competition exposure before BAM can assess whether a pairing is working.

Goh described the Aaron-Tee combination as the first major reshuffle among BAM’s elite players since the Tokyo 2020 cycle.

The association also wants its national and independent programmes to work within a broader Malaysian system.

BAM provides coaching, sports science and medicine, strength and conditioning, competition planning and match analysis, while independent programmes offer another route for players to develop.

Goh said the two systems should not be viewed as competing pathways.

“The success of a player should not be judged by where they train, but by their performance,” he said.

The aim, he added, is to broaden the pool of players and give the next generation a clearer route into senior badminton.

Nova departure and mixed doubles

The departure of mixed doubles coach Nova Widianto at the end of July also raised questions about continuity in a programme that had produced significant results.

Nova spent more than three years with BAM and guided Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei to Malaysia’s first mixed doubles world title in 2025.

Goh said BAM had a transition plan following Nova’s departure but did not want to rush into appointing a replacement simply to fill the position.

The association wanted to find the right person for the role, he said.

The principles established under Nova would remain, including technical preparation, tactics, match analysis and player development.

BAM also wants to develop more competitive mixed doubles combinations rather than rely on a single pair.

At the Asian Games, Tang Jie and Cheng Su Yin, and Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai, both failed to reach the quarter-finals.

Goh said mixed doubles development had to extend beyond one pair and one coach.

A wider role for the performance committee

The performance committee, chaired by former world No 1 Lee Chong Wei, has also been given a broader oversight role.

Goh said the committee would review results, provide strategic direction and challenge where necessary, while leaving technical decisions to the coaching team.

Its key indicators include results, rankings, performances against top opponents, the development of younger players and preparation for major tournaments.

The committee, he said, would not replace coaching expertise.

Instead, responsibility would sit at different levels: coaches would handle technical matters, programme leaders would oversee implementation, while management and the performance committee would oversee the wider plan.

The arrangement is part of the Tangkis 2030 plan put forward by BAM president Tengku Zafrul Aziz.

Building the next generation

BAM also sees the development of younger players as central to the next phase, particularly in singles.

Goh said the association wants to strengthen the move from junior to senior level through earlier talent identification, greater exposure to high-level competition and stronger technical, physical and sports science support.

The appointment of a dedicated director of coaching for singles is part of that effort, alongside a robust sports science and medicine component.

BAM does not expect the process to produce immediate results.

Goh said the next two years should bring more players into podium contention and see younger shuttlers make the transition into senior badminton.

That timeline also coincides with the next Olympic cycle, with qualification for Los Angeles 2028 beginning in May 2027.

For BAM, the period until then will be about turning its plans into measurable gains.

The association says the yardsticks are clear: results, rankings, performances against the world’s best and the emergence of younger players.

By 2027, those measures should offer a clearer verdict on whether the changes are delivering.

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