Mohamad Norza elected as BWF council member
BADMINTON Association of Malaysia (BAM) honorary life president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria has been elected as the Badminton World Federation (BWF) council member for the 2025–2029 term, today.
In a statement today, BAM extended its heartfelt congratulations to Mohamad Norza, describing his election as a reflection of the global badminton community's recognition of his leadership, vision, and longstanding commitment to the sport's growth both in Malaysia and internationally.
'BAM, represented at the BWF Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Xiamen, China, is proud to see Malaysian representation continue at the highest level of world badminton governance,' the statement said.
BAM also wished the Olympic Council of Malaysia president continued success as he embarks on his new role to serve the global badminton fraternity.
Last November, the 58-year-old corporate figure was made as the BAM honorary life president after he stepped down from the presidency post last August.
In another development, Thailand's Khunying Patama Leeswadtrakul has been confirmed as the new BWF president.
According to a statement in BWF official website, Leeswadtrakul is the second woman president of BWF.
She won unopposed and succeeded Poul-Erik Hoyer Larsen, whose 12-year tenure as BWF president ended today.
Hoyer was then awarded as the BWF honorary life vice president at the AGM.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Two pairs in LA Olympics a possibility but Rexy stays wary of long road ahead
Still at the top: Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani reached No. 1 in the world last month. PETALING JAYA: The more the merrier. With world No. 1 Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, world No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun (No. 7) and Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi (No. 24) making their marks in the men's doubles, there is a good chance for Malaysia to have a maximum of two pairs in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The prospect is thrilling but the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky wants the boys to be on their toes as a lot of things can change in the next three years. 'Now, we have two pairs in the top two rankings in the world. We also have Wei Chong-Kai Wun and Arif-Roy King behind them,' said Rexy. 'Our players' rise is good as it gives them confidence and will put pressure on other countries. 'We hope to have four pairs in the world's top four before the Olympics in 2028. There's a good chance for four pairs to fight for the two spots to qualify for the Olympics.' A country is allowed a maximum of two pairs in the showpiece event as long as both pairs are ranked in the world's top eight when the qualifying period ends. Rexy acknowledged that the road to the Olympics is still long and wants his charges not to take their foot off the pedal as they bid to end Malaysia's wait for the elusive gold medal. 'I do feel satisfied with our players' achievements but we can't afford to rest on our laurels as there are still many tournaments left and a long way still to go for the Olympics,' said Rexy. 'We may slip up if we are satisfied now but if we stay hungry and work hard from now on, I'm confident with the support of all parties, we have a good chance to win gold in 2028. We need to work even harder after this to maintain the players' performances. At the same time, we need to keep an eye on the progress of the pairs from the other countries to stay ahead of them.' Aaron-Wooi Yik and Wei Chong-Kai Wun have been in fine form this year while Sze Fei-Izzuddin reached No. 1 in the world last month after their good showings last year and in January. Youngsters Roy King-Arif have also shown promise since combining in 2023. Wei Chong-Kai Wun, who captured the Indonesian Masters in January and Malaysian Masters last month were included in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme geared up towards the 2028 Olympics for the first time. The other shuttlers in RTG are Aaron-Wooi Yik, Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah (women's doubles) and Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei (mixed doubles).
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Wise Jonassen taking time to name singles coach
PETALING JAYA: It has been three months but the search for a new women's singles badminton coach continues. But coaching director Kenneth Jonassen from Denmark is not fretting. Instead of rushing into it, Jonassen is looking for a versatile and experienced candidate to fill the position left vacant by Jeffer Rosobin of Indonesia, who resigned at the end of February. 'I see many potential coaches. Anybody with experience having coached here or abroad is very much appreciated,' said Jonassen. 'It's very much about working as one team all the way from senior to junior. 'I like to move the coaches around in different positions. That gives us an overall feel of unity and a stronger line-up.' Former men's singles shuttler Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, who is currently coaching in Ireland is one of the options for Jonassen. Then, there is also former All-England champion Mohd Hafiz Hashim, who is no longer coaching a club in India. 'Iskandar is an experienced coach but I can't confirm anything for now. He's somebody that for sure will be good for our line-up,' said Jonassen. 'It's the middle of the year though, meaning that other coaches are still under contract. Jonassen also believes that stability is important after the constant chopping and changing of coaches in the women's singles department over the past few years. The likes of James Chua, K. Yogendran and Jeffer have all not stayed long in the position since 2022. Of the three, only Yogendran is still in BAM and was moved to the men's singles department last October. 'I think stability is crucial. It gives the long term objective of development and you can follow a certain plan,' said Jonassen. Jonassen is determined to improve the fortunes of the women's singles with Malaysia currently struggling to produce top players in the department. World No. 49 K. Letshanaa is currently BAM's highest ranked player followed by world No. 92 Wong Ling Ching. World No. 47 independent player Goh Jin Wei is the national No. 1.
New Straits Times
14 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Brazil-born Figueiredo thrilled by reception from Malaysian fans
KUALA LUMPUR: The man from the Western Hemisphere will never forget his Malaysia debut. Joao Figueiredo scored a goal against Vietnam and was named Man of the Match in an Asian Cup qualifier at the National Stadium yesterday. The 29-year-old proved to be a life wire for Malaysia upfront with his tremendous work-rate, and sparked a 4-0 win over Vietnam in their Group F match. The Brazil-born striker, who currently plays for Turkish club, Istanbul Basakşehir, was delighted with the reception from Malaysian fans at Bukit Jalil. He described it as "unforgettable". "I'm very happy, I've dreamt of this moment for a long time, but the most important thing was not my goal, it was to win, to follow our target. Our team performance was very good, but we can improve. I'm very happy to be here, I'm very proud," said Figueiredo. "From day one, I've been warmly welcomed by everyone here. Playing in front of more than 60,000 fans at the stadium was an incredible experience. Bukit Jalil will always be in my memory. "We've only been together for two weeks, but I believe we'll grow stronger from here. This is only the first step," added Figueiredo, who helped Malaysia end a 11-year winless run against Vietnam.
