400 youngsters join Astro Badminton Camp
Published on: Sunday, April 21, 2019
By: Zam Yusa
KOTA KINABALU: More than 400 youngsters joined a two-day Astro Badminton Camp here that started on Saturday, hoping to be among the finalists who will undergo overseas training.
The 466 10 to 12-year-olds and their parents swarmed the Badminton Hall at the Likas Sport Complex for a chance to be trained by world-renowned coaches Wong Choong Hann, Lee Wan Wah, Chan Chong Min and Chew Choong Eng.
ADVERTISEMENT
Chan, former champion at the Japan and French Opens, said Sabah is among the states where the response from participants is encouraging.
“Each time I come to Sabah I get emotional because Sabah is far from Kuala Lumpur but the turnout is one of the best,” he told reporters.
“Although Sabah’s facility is not like that in KL, the kids and parents are very supportive of the camp.”
Chan said Sabah can produce great young badminton players like U-16 shuttler Arena Satu Samin, who was a graduate of the Astro Badminton Camp.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I know her very well. She was one of most talented during the trial a few years back. She got talent and trains hard for the future,” said the 39-year-old coach.
“I hope Sabahans will continue to train hard and have a chance to be the next Lee Chong Wei.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Those selected from the camp will undergo training and selection in Kuala Lumpur and the final group of young shuttlers will go for overseas training.
“We are looking at Japan for the overseas training but we’ll announce the venue later.”
The participants in the camp were evaluated based on specific skills on the court and their general attitude.
They will then be in the running to attend the KL Intensive Training in August where they will receive further training on playing skills and endurance, a media update said.
Ryan Andros, 12, said the training was challenging and some of the activities were quite tough.
“The net and lifts and service training was easy but the smash as well as loop and drop moves were quite hard,” the SRK Sacred Heart student told Daily Express.
“Overall, the sessions were fun and great and the coaches wanted you to be very disciplined, that is, obedient to instructions and training hard.
“This is my first badminton camp and I definitely would love to go further in the game.”
Christina Robert, 40, fully supports her son’s involvement in the sport.
“I’ll be totally behind him if one day Ryan wants to be a professional badminton player. But it has to be balanced with his studies,” she told Daily Express.
A total of 138 children aged between seven and nine attended a free coaching clinic held along with the selection for the older children at the camp, where they learned basic techniques to improve their skills and build stamina.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
