Bonanza for Malaysian badminton

Kuala Lumpur: Sponsors have given Malaysian badminton a $13.6 million cash injection in a bid to win a first Olympic gold medal in London next year and build for the future, local media reported on Wednesday.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will be sponsored by Maybank for the next six years in the biggest such tie-up in Malaysian badminton. Maybank replaces carmaker Proton as BAM’s new title sponsors, although Proton will continue their sponsorship deal for the next five years.
“It is an indication that badmintons status has reached a lofty height,” BAM President Seri Nadzmi told the Bernama news agency, after signing off on the deal. “It will certainly elevate the game to a higher ground. More importantly, we will be able to mobilise our development efforts in states. However, it is not enough just to have a sound financial backing but the states also need to play their parts by managing the fund and programme well.”
Badminton has a huge following in Malaysia, although they have long been forced to play second or third fiddle behind the mighty Chinese and Indonesia. Their top player, world number one Lee Chong Wei, plans to quit after the 2012 London Olympics and the BAM are looking to groom a new crop of players for the national side. Reuters

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