THERE are no national sports associations (NSAs) which can rival the BA of Malaysia’s monetary security to its players.

BAM has efficient incentives, world ranking and match bonuses as well as allowances which promises all players a comfortable life as long as they work hard and be successful in the international arena.

The world ranking bonus is the most attractive as players ranked from World No 32 to World No 1 get a quarterly payment ranging from RM4,500 to RM45,000.

The women’s singles players enjoy between RM4,500 to RM36,000 in the same ranking bracket.

The men’s doubles are restricted to the top 16 where the highest payout per quarter is RM80,000 if they rank No 1 or No 2, while the pairs ranked from ninth to 16th get RM24,000.
The women’s doubles receive between RM12,000 and RM60,000.

The lack of success and focus in the mixed doubles means only the top eight benefit but an amount of RM40,000 for a top or second ranked pair quarterly is a substantial amount (for full list refer to graphics).

A successful player or pair can earn from the match bonus scheme RM10,000 for a Super Series title and RM5,000 for a grand prix win, and there is another attractive sum in the form of a presidential bonus which guarantees an additional 25 per cent of the winning purse.

BAM has also not neglected incentives for winning major events as an Olympic gold is worth RM100,000 while at a lower level, a player can earn RM10,000 if he wins a Sea Games individual or team gold.

Monthly salary, or allowance as it is called, ranges from RM500 to RM3,000 based on the achievement of players.

Although BAM has not made it too difficult for the national shuttlers to earn a decent living, it remains a mystery why they are struggling to make the grade.

The exceptional players like World No 1 Lee Chong Wei, men’s doubles Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong and Zakry Latif-Fairuzizuan Tazari, and women’s doubles Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui have been reaping the benefits consistently.

For example, if Chong Wei wins five Super Series (offering US$200,000 or RM720,000 in total prize money) titles and maintains his World No 1 status this year, he will earn about RM297,000 on BAM ranking, match and presidential bonuses alone. This does not include the total prize money he earns from these events.

Likewise, Kien Keat-Boon Heong and Pei Tty-Eei Hui are set to earn about RM202,000 each for similar achievements.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but strangely the incentives doesn’t seem to encourage the majority of the national shuttlers.

The least BAM can offer a national senior who has not been involved in tournaments due to injury or poor form, is RM3,000, while a back-up player gets RM500 a month even if he fails to show progress.

SMASHING MONEY

A successful player or pair can earn from the match bonus scheme RM10,000 for a Super Series title and RM5,000 for a grand prix win
Article source:

The New Straits Times

Thanks for sharing, i believe only certain limited shuttlers get about RM3,000 a month and i dont believe even players like Hafiz or Kuan Beng receive monthly allowance close to that.
From your input, i believe you are a good badminton players too, mind to exchange our email adds, perhaps we can have a game or too.
Mine is andrian_lee2000@yahoo.com

The financial reward is just one of the incentives. Anyone in Malaysia will be rewarded RM$1 million for winning an Olympic Gold. Regular National players are paid something like RM$3,000 a month with back up players about half of that. On top of that, these players get support left, right and centre. Psychologist, food nutritionist, personal trainer, doctors etc. In addition to monthly allowance, you get bonuses like being WC, world rnked No. 1. I was under this training regime for 2 weeks to have a taste of what a national player has to go thru daily. Yes, their job is to play badminton well and the training is very tough, probably more so in China.

In conclusion, the BAM and NSC have to revamp, they have to decide, can they still pay so much for someone with World No.1 ranking and not winning World Titles ?

Perhaps, Until the BAM and NSC do something about paying shuttlers something for winning world titles and winning a min of 10 titles a year to maintain an earning of RM40k a month, Malaysia look no way of having a world champion.

For all the fans out there, being a world champion does not carry any monetery reward, it’s just a title! Winning a super series worth much much more! Historically, our shutters win so much more super series! don’t you think so ?

rom early in 1939, at the age of eighteen, through his final tournament match fourteen years later, Freeman was undefeated in singles competition[1]. Displaying his characteristic quickness, agility, and shot-making precision, Freeman won the prestigious All-England Championship on his only try (1949) and remains the sole American to win the men’s singles there[2]. In this one-time-only badminton stint in Europe he also won Thomas Cup singles matches against eventual champion Malaya, and captured the Danish Open. In all, he won three matches each against Ooi Teik Hock and the very formidable Wong Peng Soon. After apparently retiring from badminton in 1950 to concentrate on a career in neurosurgery, Freeman made a brief comeback in 1953. He won the four tournaments that he entered which concluded with the U.S. National Championships in Boston, and a victory in the very same hall where he had last lost a singles match fourteen years earlier.[3]. He is the only American born male to be inducted into both the U.S. and World Badminton Halls of Fame[4].