KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will send “quite a strong team” to the 2025 Thailand SEA Games. BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh stated that specific criteria for player selection have already been established, although notable athletes like the former SEA Games gold medallists men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik from 2019 will not be part of the lineup this time.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kenny remarked on the decision to redefine what constitutes a “quite strong” team, noting that traditionally BAM has sent younger shuttlers. He explained that the choice is straightforward due to the limited number of major events next year. The SEA Games stand alongside the Sudirman Cup and the World Championships in Paris as key competitions for the Malaysian team in the upcoming period. During a recent working committee meeting at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil, Kenny highlighted discussions on plans extending to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Kenny further ment
ioned that BAM has yet to finalize the team roster or set specific medal targets for the biennial Games. Malaysia’s last triumph in securing a SEA Games gold in badminton was during the 2021 event in Hanoi. In the 2023 Phnom Penh edition, the national team returned with two silver and four bronze medals.

Additional discussions during the meeting included psychological aspects and the involvement of the National Sports Institute (NSI) in offering sports science-related support. Kenny expressed satisfaction with the current allocation from the National Sports Council, though he acknowledged that certain issues still require further deliberation.