“There are many things we can learn from the Japanese players on and off the court.”
The president of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), Tan Sri Norza Zakaria says the Japanese players are model players for all.
The respectful culture and attitude of the Japanese players are something he wanted his players to incorporate.
Norza said that having one of the best national badminton centres in the world was not enough because the facility was not what made it the best in the world but rather the occupants.
He said, “We must have players with the right attitude too – hardworking, humble and respectful.”
Talking to The Star, Norza questioned, “What’s the point of having a centre with world-class facilities but occupants who are with third-world mentality.
“There are many things we can learn from the Japanese players on and off the court.”
In 2018, BAM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Japan’s Ehime Prefecture governor Tokihiro Nakamura, who also happens to be the president of the Ehime Badminton Association.
Under this MoU, Malaysian players train in Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics Games in July next year. Norza praised the hospitality the BAM received when the team visited Japan.
“What impressed me the most was their sincerity in giving their best training facilities for us ahead of the Olympics.
“They are the Olympics hosts and I’m sure they want to do well but, they also want us to do equally well. We’ve also seen the dedication and commitment of their elite players in training. There’s much we can learn from them.”