KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has announced its council members have unanimously agreed on Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz as their new president.
Outgoing BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria confirmed the decision at their third council meeting today and said the detailed timeline of Tengku Zafrul’s appointment will be discussed internally at the next council meeting in December.
“We (the BAM council members) expect the election of Tengku Zafrul will be done in January 2024,” he told a press conference.
Norza had announced in August that he would step down from the post of president at the end of the year.
His decision shocked many since he had announced in July that he planned to leave the national governing body only after the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, Norza is optimistic that a dynamic and progressive leader like Tengku Zafrul can run the show as the new boss and continue his six-year legacy.
He said Tengku Zafrul’s vast experience in the corporate sector before venturing into the political scene would help him take BAM to the next level.
Tengku Zafrul has shown great interest in becoming his successor, while BAM’s stakeholders’ response has also been positive so far.
“My advice to him is to put in a lot of work to understand the ecosystem of badminton and meet all relevant stakeholders, administrators, coaches and players to get inputs on the areas needing improvement.
“I know it is not easy (to become BAM president). That is why we need someone strong and passionate enough to maintain our status as one of the world’s top badminton forces,” he said.
— Bernama
