KUCHING: Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand yesterday have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to conduct junior (below-19 years old) badminton exchange programmes on training and competition particularly among partnering countries.
The MoU was signed between Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary Datuk Ng Chin Chai, Badminton Korea Association Han Woo Goo, Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia Wijanarko Adi Mulya Oei and Badminton Association of Thailand Under Royal Patronage of His Majesty The King, Air Marshall Associate Professor Nigon Chumnankul.
The exchange programme between the partner countries will commence from the date of the last of the MoU by all the partner countries until mutually terminated by all parties.
The partner countries will endeavor to conduct joint trainings and competitions for a period between seven to 14 days each at various levels from the National Under 15 team, Under 17 team, Under 19 team up to the National Back-up team.
All the partner shall host a joint camp once in four years on a rotation basis on mutually agreeable dates. For the purpose of easier hosting, the maximum number of people from each visiting country shall be 16 players and four officials respectively for each joint camp.
The host country will provide and bear the costs of accommodation, food, internal transport and training facilities for the joint camp while the visiting countries shall bear the travel costs to/from the venue fixed by the host country.
Whenever any partner countries host an international tournament in its country, the other visiting partner countries shall send its top players within the level of the tournament to participate in the tournament and in return the host country will provide and bear the costs of three hotel rooms to each visiting partner countries and further provide additional four complimentary accreditations and reasonable additional practice session at the tournament venue to each visiting partner countries.
The partner countries will further collaborate on the technical officials, coaching, training, development and sports science aspect of badminton.
