Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) technical director Morten Frost believes that the local badminton supporters need to be more realistic in forming views on shuttlers within the national set-up.
Since Chong Wei’s suspension, Malaysia have struggled on the international scene and for the first time in a long time, they were unseeded at the All England Championship last month. Their poor performance climaxed during the Malaysia Open last weekend, where only Zulfadli Zulkifli qualified for the main draw, though even he was defeated in the opening round.
But as far as Morten Frost is concerned, it’s only a matter of time before fresh talents start stepping up to grab hold on the mantle.
“Chong Wei’s absence has certainly affected the men’s singles department and it sometimes appear like it has lost its direction,” Morten Frost told Utusan Malaysia.
“We can’t change the situation immediately, because we need at least two to three years to nurture and find a player that can bring back Malaysia’s glory days on the international platform.”
Meanwhile, Chong Wei’s BWF hearing on the doping scandal is set to take place this weekend, where the former world number one will finally discover his fate, having been out of the game for six months now.
Photo Credits: Badminton World Federation
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