KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coach Misbun Sidek has suggested that the young shuttlers at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS) be provided with sports psychologists.
This, he said, could help in the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) bid to add depth in the men’s singles back-up squad.
He said youngsters these days were distracted by so many things that it was difficult to find one focused on making a breakthrough into the back-up squad.
And that, he added, made it difficult for the national coaches to turn them into complete players.
“There is a shortage of quality in the players breaking into the national team. They are so engrossed in so many things, like their mobile phones and Internet,” said Misbun.
“There is nothing wrong with this but the question is where is their focus? When I was young, badminton was my first love.
“In badminton, one has to be mentally strong. But this aspect will always be a problem if the players are easily distracted.”
Misbun said a psychologist could assist in building stronger players.
“A coach cannot be wasting time thinking about all this when they have several players to manage,” he said.
“Maybe, it is time that we look into this support service for our players at BJSS on a full-time basis. If we strengthen the younger group, naturally, we do not have to worry about the back-up or the elite team.
“This can help in our bid to widen the quality in the men’s singles department.”
