Selvaraj calls for more time for Justin Hoh and Leong Jun Hao
BAM will assess its players in December, with retention, removal and places in development programmes among the possible outcomes.
Malaysia should keep men's singles players Justin Hoh and Leong Jun Hao for at least one more year to allow their form to improve, former international Datuk James Selvaraj said. He warned that losing the pair could seriously diminish the national squad's strength.
Selvaraj cited Leong's ranking of 31st in the world and Justin's position of 46th as evidence of their standing among Malaysia's best options. Apart from Lee Zii Jia, he said, the country had few alternatives who had demonstrated good performances through their rankings.
He said developing players now aged 16 or 17 could take four to five more years. With qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics approaching, he urged BAM to weigh that development time before deciding whether to remove players.
Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei, chairman of the BA of Malaysia's performance committee, said December's comprehensive assessment would determine who remains, who is dropped and who enters the association's development programmes.
