Source: REUTERS/IVAN ALVARADO
[Saba Sports News] The badminton competition at the Paris Olympic Games is scheduled to be held at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena from July 27 to August 5. The Badminton Association of Malaysia plans to move into the Olympic Sports Village on July 26. Rexy Mainaky, the coaching director of the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), has acknowledged that players feel pressure when they see athletes from other countries winning gold medals. This pressure can make them eager to start playing and constantly think about when it will be their turn. The tension comes from within the sports village itself. To address this issue, the Badminton Association of Malaysia recently hired psychologist Frederick Tan to coach the players and help them cope with the stress they may face during the Paris Olympics. Rexy believes that proper psychological counseling will have a positive impact on the players’ performance in crucial moments. The Malaysian team has high hopes for the men’s doubles pair of Aaron Chia Teng Fong and SOH Wooi Yik, who are currently ranked fourth in the world. As a result, the Malaysian Badminton Association is allocating their best resources to support this doubles team.