BADMINTON fans can expect to see more National Junior Ranking Challenges in the coming months.
According to BAM coaching director, Wong Choong Hann, the tournament promotes healthy competition among the junior players.
Apart from allowing the younger shuttlers to have a crack at making the senior squad, it is also a test for the existing backup players.
"We can expect to see more National Junior Ranking Challenges in the future because the tournaments promote healthy competition among the junior players.
"They are constantly fighting to improve themselves to earn promotions and eventually have a go at making the backup squad.
"I see it as a great platform for these junior players to learn, not just skills, but other aspects of the game from their older peers.
"This is one way of scouting for potential talent to be absorbed into the senior team.
"We also want to assess our backup players and see how they perform under pressure," Choong Hann said.
The former World No 1 believes the players involved in the final round of the competition which started yesterday at the Academy Badminton Malaysia are the cream of the crop from the national junior programme.
He is looking forward to a close contest between the top junior players and those from the backup squad.
"These top junior players are the products of our junior development programme. It will be interesting to see how they handle the immense pressure and responsibility when the stakes are high," Choong Hann added.
The National Junior Ranking (senior vs junior) Challenge will end on Saturday.
Source: New Straits Times