SINGAPORE (Reuters) –
Six badminton players have quit Singapores national squad a year
before the London Olympics, saying they have been squeezed out and
left with no choice.
The players had been members of the city-state’s national
development team recently dissolved by the Singapore Badminton
Association (SBA) as part of restructuring.
The SBA said its decision to dissolve “Team 2″ had been based on
an annual performance evaluation.
“I think its a little unfair because I started centralised
training only a year ago,” Toh Siew Fen told Singapores Straits
Times newspaper. “Its too little time for us to catch up to the
standards of Team 1.”
In its place, the SBA will form the National Intermediate Squad
(NIS) next month for up and coming players.
A few Team 2 shuttlers have been invited to join the new squad,
but will no longer be given a monthly allowance or opportunities to
compete in overseas tournaments.
“Its as good as having no option,” said Eugene Sng, 21. “They
are forcing me out. But they don’t want to look bad, so on the
surface, I have a choice.”
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Source: Reuters