Tsuen Seng, James get six months to prove themselvesBY

The Star Online > Sports
Tuesday February 22, 2005
RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: National singles shuttler Lee Tsuen Seng and James Chua have been given a grace period of six months to prove themselves or face the axe, this time for good.
Yesterday, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) exco met to endorse the recommendations of chief coaches Yap Kim Hock and Rashid Sidek for their players and coaches under the Project 2006-08 and 2010-12 squads respectively.
James, who was dropped from the squad in 2003, was the only new name included in Kim Hock’s squad. The stocky Sarawakian will be placed under the charge of Chinese coach Li Mao.
Kim Hock said they had decided to give Tsuen Seng and James a final chance to redeem themselves.
“Tsuen Seng has gone through a bad patch in his badminton career over the last two years. He has to do well in international tournaments in the next six months or he has to leave. This is a final chance for him,” Kim Hock told a press conference at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara here yesterday.
The inclusion of James, however, certainly raised eyebrows.
The 2002 Malaysian Open winner, who has been troubled by a string of injuries, has no results to show since he was dropped from the squad and he will need two more months before he can even compete in an international tournament.
Asked why James was included, Kim Hock said: “James was in the pioneer batch that joined BAM (in 1992). Injury is his only problem. We want to give him this final chance. There will be no more chances after this.”
The other players under Kim Hock’s squad will go through yearly assessments.
Meanwhile, Wong Tat Meng has been named as the women’s singles coach instead of Chinese coach Zhou Kejian. Kejian will coach at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS).
Said Kim Hock: “Tat Meng will be in charge of (the only women’s singles player Wong) Mew Choo but he will have to follow the training programme prepared by Li Mao. Mew Choo’s elder sister, Miew Kheng, will spar with Mew Choo but her main event will be the mixed doubles.”
Like Kim Hock, Rashid also has a new addition to his squad which is geared towards excelling at the 2010 Asian Games and 2012 Olympic Games. He has named Kuala Lumpur’s Raymond Steven, who failed to show up for trials in December.
“We accepted Raymond because he has made an appeal. Besides, he has proven to be a good player and produced results,” said Rashid.
Rashid, however, said he would not tolerate any indiscipline when his squad officially begins training on March 1.
“If a player shows indiscipline, I will not hesitate to drop him or her. I will only keep players who show commitment and have potential to go far. I do not want them to waste their time and mine,” he added.
All his players will be sent for their first tournament at the Vietnam Satellite in May, except for world junior champions Tan Boon Heong and Hoon Thien How. The pair will compete in higher ranked tournaments, like the upcoming Thailand Open from March 29-April 3.