Frost, Chong Wei should set aside ego - Norza

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) technical director Morten Frost and national badminton ace Datuk Lee Chong Wei have been urged to set aside their ego in their current spat.

BAM deputy president Datuk Seri Mohammad Norza Zakaria said they needed to be more professional and place BAM's interests above all else.

"I do not want everything that has been achieved previously to go to waste because Chong Wei is an inspiration to all players, while Frost has his KPI (Key Performance Indicator).

"Frost has a mission to position Malaysia in the world's top three, as well as hunt for the country's first Olympic gold," he told reporters at the Jalur Gemilang handing over ceremony to the Malaysian contingent for the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo, Japan.

Mohammad Norza said BAM was also currently at its peak due to the contribution from both individuals.

He said at the moment, all parties should give space to Chong Wei to calm down and return to normal.

"For Frost, I think we at BAM will discuss with him, because maybe how things are done in Europe differs from Asia, and it could be a little harsh, however, we cannot be too Asian as well, because we want to be world class," he said.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin backed Chong Wei to continue his career until the day the shuttler decide to hang up his racket.

"I've said it since the Olympics, as long as he wants to play, we will support him, and Chong Wei is also part of the Podium Programme under the National Sports Institute," he said.

Chong Wei lost his cool when he learned Frost had told a close associate that his latest injury could be the end of his playing career.

This was following the MCL (Medical Collateral Ligament) injury Chong Wei suffered during training at the Badminton Academy Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara, on Saturday. - Bernama