KUALA LUMPUR – National shuttlers at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) were treated to a touch of greatness when China’s former Olympic and world champion Zhao Yunlei brought a team from Hubei province for a 10-day joint training stint.
The training programme, which began on June 27, features 13 players from Hubei, accompanied by two coaches, a doctor, and the badminton legend herself.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh told Scoop that the initiative was first proposed in April.
“This is the provincial team from Hubei, led by Zhao Yunlei. They contacted us in April to request training with our players.
“I was told this forms part of their preparation for the China Games.
“Since we have a good relationship with the China Badminton Association (CBA), such training will benefit our back-up players. We saw it as a win-win situation,” said Kenny.
Indeed, this could be seen as a breakthrough, as Malaysia usually hosts smaller or emerging badminton nations rather than powerhouses like China.
Zhao, regarded as one of the greatest women’s doubles players of the modern era, also made history in mixed doubles.
She remains the only player to win two gold medals at a single Olympic Games (London 2012) and the first to clinch two golds at back-to-back World Championships (2014 and 2015).
If all goes well, the programme could pave the way for future collaborations, including opportunities for Malaysian players to train in China. — July 7, 2025