Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has praised the appointment of Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) council, describing it as a major step forward and a reflection of her consistent call for former athletes to take on leadership roles in sports associations.
Yeoh, who has advocated for athlete involvement since taking office in 2022, expressed her excitement at the move.
“This is truly something I have been looking forward to since becoming Sports Minister in 2022,” she said. “I believe that Lee Chong Wei has so much to offer to the development of badminton in Malaysia and he should not be on the sidelines of BAM.”
The minister highlighted that having athletes of Chong Wei’s calibre in decision-making positions would be transformative for National Sports Associations (NSAs).
“Having him assisting us in NSC (National Sports Council) and RTG (Road to Gold) is something I am very grateful for, but I believe when athletes lead in the national sports association, it will definitely inject a sense of excitement, confidence and precision in the NSA decisions and policies,” Yeoh said.
Over the past two years, Yeoh has worked closely with the three-time Olympic silver medallist, having appointed him as a committee member and mentor in the elite RTG programme, alongside other sporting icons like Datuk Nicol David (squash) and Datuk Mirnawan Nawawi (hockey).
In a personal message to Chong Wei, Yeoh expressed her gratitude and encouragement:
“Thank you very much LCW for finally saying yes! Now it’s time to move from knee to waist-deep in pouring back into Malaysian badminton. ‘Kam sia lu’ (Thank you very much).”
