Datuk V. Subramaniam has stated that the Selangor Badminton Association followed proper procedures and did not receive any appeal from the Putrajaya Badminton Association regarding player eligibility for the Junior Elite Tour in Johor.
Subramaniam, who is both the SBA president and Badminton Association of Malaysia deputy president, was responding to the controversy involving 16 junior players who were initially barred from the tournament. The players were schooling in Selangor but registered to represent Putrajaya.
He explained that during a BAM council meeting on Oct 18, a ruling was made requiring junior players to represent the state where they are schooling, in line with Malaysian School Sports Council regulations. Any state association wishing to field players schooling elsewhere must first obtain official release letters from the players’ original state associations.
According to Subramaniam, no such request or appeal was submitted by Putrajaya.
He said SBA had not received any appeal letters and stressed that once a decision is made by the BAM council, all parties must adhere to it. He added that had Putrajaya approached SBA earlier, an agreement could likely have been reached for this year, with adjustments made in future seasons.
BAM president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz later intervened to allow the 16 players to compete, citing player welfare. However, he clarified that the approval was a one-off exemption granted solely for this tournament.
