Lock in Pearly Tan-Thinaah before it's too late, says Tengku Zafrul as BAM contract talks stall
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has called for a swift resolution to the contract issue involving Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, expressing hope that the pair will remain with the national setup.
He said it is important to maintain stability and focus within the national team setup, especially for players preparing for major tournaments.
'Sometimes, things like this will not be good if you want to be 100 per cent focused on what you want to do.
'Secondly, to me, we need to make sure that we keep all the players within BAM. So I have asked management to please try and make sure they stay,' he told reporters after visiting the national players at a training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) here today.
Previously, the media reported that the women's doubles pair has yet to renew their BAM contracts, which expired last December.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding their future with BAM, Pearly and Thinaah have continued to perform well, capturing the Thailand Open title last month and finishing runners-up in the recent Indonesia Open.
Tengku Zafrul also said BAM is still working on strengthening the guidelines for players transitioning out of the national team.
'I think we need to look at this objectively because we don't want to rush into making any decision.
'But at the same time, we want to focus on, like I said, the outcome,' he said. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
13 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Saudi Arabia and Qatar to host Asian playoffs for 2026 World Cup as six teams battle for final spots
KUALA LUMPUR, June 13 — Saudi Arabia and Qatar will host the Asian qualifying playoffs for the 2026 World Cup, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said today. Six teams, the third and fourth-placed sides from the recent Asian qualifiers, namely Indonesia, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, will be divided into two groups of three teams. They will battle each other in a centralised format from October 8 to 14, 2025, the AFC said in a statement. The group winners will secure the two remaining automatic berths at the World Cup. The draw for the next round is scheduled for July 17. The runners-up from each group will play two matches on November 13 and 18, with the winners qualifying for the inter-confederation playoffs for the World Cup. Asian federations had requested that the Asian playoff matches be held on neutral ground. — AFP
Sinar Daily
17 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
BAM president urges swift resolution on contract issue for Pearly-Thinaah
"I have asked management to please try and make sure they stay." 13 Jun 2025 12:31pm Despite the uncertainty surrounding their future with BAM, Pearly and Thinaah have continued to perform well, capturing the Thailand Open title last month and finishing runners-up in the recent Indonesia Open. Bernama FILE PIX KUALA LUMPUR - Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz has called for a swift resolution to the contract issue involving Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, expressing hope that the pair will remain with the national setup. He said it is important to maintain stability and focus within the national team setup, especially for players preparing for major tournaments. "Sometimes, things like this will not be good if you want to be 100 per cent focused on what you want to do. "Secondly, to me, we need to make sure that we keep all the players within BAM. So I have asked management to please try and make sure they stay,' he told reporters after visiting the national players at a training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) here today. Previously, the media reported that the women's doubles pair has yet to renew their BAM contracts, which expired last December. Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah have yet to renew their BAM contracts, which expired last December. Bernama FILE PIX Despite the uncertainty surrounding their future with BAM, Pearly and Thinaah have continued to perform well, capturing the Thailand Open title last month and finishing runners-up in the recent Indonesia Open. Tengku Zafrul also said BAM is still working on strengthening the guidelines for players transitioning out of the national team. "I think we need to look at this objectively because we don't want to rush into making any decision. "But at the same time, we want to focus on, like I said, the outcome,' he said. - BERNAMA More Like This
The Star
17 hours ago
- The Star
BAM boss Zafrul commends shuttlers for good showing, urges to keep it up
Special visit: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz having a light moment with coach Rexy Mainaky and players. PETALING JAYA: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz commended the national players and coaches for returning home with good results from recent outings. He however, jokingly denied that his recent presidency had anything to do with it; instead, it was the hard work of both players and coaches. Men's doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik won the Singapore Open earlier this month, as well as the Thailand Open last month, and finished as runners-up to compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun at the Malaysian Masters last month as well. Pearly-Thinaah recently made it to the Indonesian Open final but ended their run in the Super 1000 tournament as runners-up to China's Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning. They also captured the Thailand Open last month, while also reaching the Malaysian Masters semi-finals and quarter-finals at the Singapore Open after that. "It can't be because of me, but it does show that the coaches, especially in the doubles department, have done good work," said Zafrul after a visit at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) at Kiara. "The results reflect that. But in my view, there's still plenty more to be done, especially for those handling the singles department. "We're pleased with what our players have achieved. I hope those competing at the Japan and China Open will continue to be consistent," he said.
