jpnn.com, KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian men's doubles player Aaron Chia blamed the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) for his failure with Soh Wooi Yik to qualify for the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals.
Aaron argued that if the BAM allowed him to play at the 2021 Hylo Open, there was a possibility that the bronze winner of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics would appear in the closing tournament of the 2021 Indonesia Badminton Festival.
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However, Aaron and Soh had to bury their dream after only sitting in 9th place on the World Tour.
This is because only the eight best badminton players in each category are entitled to appear in the 2021 BWF World Tour Finals.
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Aaron considered the BAM unfair because other Malaysian players such as Lee Zii Jia (men's singles) were allowed to appear at the 2021 Hylo Open.
Responding to Aaron's statement, the BAM said they had their own considerations why they did not allow the world number six double to appear.
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"Yes, Aaron and Soh could qualify if they played in Germany, but the BAM has its own policy. We don't allow players to fight more than four tournaments in a row," BAM director Choong Han explained.
Choong said he was confused why Aaron complained about it because he actually knew the rules.
"Aaron and Soh decided to skip All England last March when we brought them in. So, I really don't understand why they are complaining now," he added.
When asked about Lee Zii Jia being allowed to appear at the 2021 Hylo Open, Choong admitted it was his fault.
The appearance led to Zii Jia's injury in the Hylo Open final against Loh Kean Yew. He also got injured in the first round of the 2021 Indonesia Masters and did not play optimally at the 2021 Indonesia Open.
"I regret that decision, and I admit I was wrong because even though Zii Jia reached the final, he had to end up injured," added Choong. (nst/mcr15/mcr20/jpnn)
This news has been broadcast on JPNN.com with the title: Gagal Lolos BWF World Tour Finals 2021, Aaron Chia Salahkan BAM