BAM to replace National Circuit with National Championships

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has decided to introduce the Malaysia National Championship starting this year to replace the National Circuit 1 and 2 and final.

BAM acting president Tan Sri Mohamed Al Amin Abdul Majid said starting this year, the championship would be held from Feb 19 to 25 at Dewan Sri Perdana Kolej Sains Bersekutu Sultan Azlan Shah in Ulu Kinta, Perak.

"We will introduce the Malaysia National Championship starting this year where the qualifying rounds will take place from Feb 19 to 21 and the main draw from Feb 22 to 25.

"BAM felt the circuit featuring Division I and II needed to be changed and the subject was always brought up since the circuit received poor response because most of the National players were not able to play," he told reporters at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara, here today.

Mohamed Al Amin said the championship was vital to gauge the performances and standard of players as well as to expose talented young players like Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin (men's singles), Goh Jin Wei (women's singles), Tan Wee Kiong/Goh V Shem (men's doubles); Woon Khei Wei/Vivian Hoo (women's doubles); Lai Pei Jing/Tan Kia Meng and Chan Peng Soon/Chow Mei Kuan (mixed doubles).

Total prize money for the championships will be RM270,000 with the men's singles winner taking home (RM20,000), women's singles (RM14,000), men's doubles (RM30,000), women's doubles (RM20,000) and mixed doubles (RM20,000). - BERNAMA