A group of 27 students including 18 from the Badminton Talent Development Program (BTDP), a joint initiative by the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM) and PERODUA, showed their support for Malaysian players at the PERODUA Malaysia Masters 2024 held at the Axiata Arena.

The BTDP, established in 2018, is designed to identify and nurture badminton talent from primary schools with the goal of grooming future national representatives. The 18 students in attendance are BTDP participants who have been admitted to Bukit Jalil Sports School (SSBJ), while nine others were selected through the Malaysian School Sports Council (MSSM) tournament.

Among them, 17-year-old Muhammad Luqman Hakim Yusof Daneel shared his aspiration to follow in the footsteps of national legend Rashid Sidek and five-time world champion Lin Dan from China. “I had the privilege of training under Rashid Sidek when I was 12, before joining BTDP and moving to SSBJ. His guidance has inspired me to pursue a similar path,” said Luqman from Selangor.

Another aspiring player, Datu Anif Isaac Datu Asrah, aims to emulate former world number one Datuk Lee Chong Wei. “PERODUA has significantly supported us by sponsoring our training, equipment, and international competitions. This support is crucial in our journey to becoming top badminton players,” said the 17-year-old from Sabah.

Dania Sofea Zaidi, also 17 and hailing from Johor, mentioned that this was her second time attending the PERODUA Malaysia Masters. “Watching our national team compete here always boosts my determination. My dream is to be like our women’s singles champion, Goh Jin Wei,” she remarked.

The BTDP participants also had the opportunity to engage with Malaysia’s second-ranked doubles pair, Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Goh Sze Fei, during a fan interaction session at the Perodua booth.

Currently, the BTDP employs 140 coaches to train approximately 2,800 primary school students across 70 identified badminton development centers nationwide. Many of these students come from middle-income families, and the program by PERODUA and KPM aims to transform their lives by nurturing their talents and paving the way for them to represent their schools, states, and eventually the country.

SSBJ badminton coach, Mohd Nazri Nasir, highlighted that his students are preparing not only for national competitions but also for the upcoming Asian Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships later this year. “The environment at this tournament instills a sense of patriotism and provides BTDP students with valuable exposure to real competition pressures, which aligns with SSBJ’s mission to produce national athletes,” he said.