Selectors waiting to catch shuttlers who impress during tourney next month

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ASPIRING shuttlers from schools in Kuala Lumpur will get a chance to impress the selectors during the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association (KLBA) Junior Closed championships at the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium in Cheras from Dec 5-8.

KLBA coach A. Sankar said they were hopeful of identifying promising talents to beef up the various junior age-groups in their training camp.

“The current Kuala Lumpur trainees will not be allowed to take part. Our main aim is to allow the unknown junior entries to shine. We are excited about seeing ‘the hidden’ talents. We want to create a broader base of emerging shuttlers in our training squad,” he added.

The four age-groups for the boys’ and girls’ singles are Under-Nine, Under-11, Under-13 and Under-15.

Over the limit: Zulkifli will not be eligible to compete in next year’s meet.

“We have parents requesting us to accommodate their children in our training programme. We have limited space. The newcomers will have to prove their worth to earn a place in the team. Usually, we will have between eight and 10 boys and girls for one age-group,” said Sankar, adding the singles events would provide better indication of individual skills.

Entry fee is RM5 for each player and entry closes on Nov 28.

The top three winners in each category will receive prizes for their effort.

Meanwhile, training is back to full swing for the current trainees who have completed their examinations except for those sitting for the ongoing Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

Sankar: ‘We are hoping to maintain similar winning performances next season.’

Sankar said they were planning to conclude their ranking exercise at the end of the year before naming their players for next season’s campaign, starting with the opening leg of the national junior circuit zone A meet in Perlis from Jan 8 to12.

Before the grand prix finals, Kuala Lumpur are hosting the second leg from April 19 to 22.

“They have a short period to regain their fitness and form in their bid to protect their positions in the team. We have done well in the national junior circuit this year. We are hoping to maintain similar winning performances next season,” he added.

Having guided the city side to three previous victories at the national junior inter-state mixed team in 2007, 2010 and 2011, Sankar said his charges would face an uphill task to score a three-in-a-row hat-trick at the meet scheduled in Kedah from Sept 19-23.

For next year, Kuala Lumpur will also be missing the services of reliable key players — Asian and world junior boys’ singles champion Zulfadli Zulkifli, Sonia Cheah and Shevon Lai — in their line-up.

The trio will not be eligible to compete in the Under-18 age group category.