KUALA LUMPUR – Following in the footsteps of Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, national women’s singles player K. Letshanaa has pledged her loyalty to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), citing the governing body as the cornerstone of her development into a top-tier athlete.
The 21-year-old first joined the national setup as a junior in 2019 and was promoted to the senior squad a year later.
However, a back injury in 2021 sidelined the Selangor-born player for most of the season – leaving her with little choice but to leave the national team in February 2022.
Ranked 59th in the world, Letshanaa rejoined the team last year and continued to compete in tournaments like the Korea Open, the Sudirman Cup, and the Indonesian Masters.
Speaking to Scoop, Letshanaa said that training with her teammates in BAM over the years has helped her become a better player.
Alongside Letshanaa, other women’s singles players in BAM include Wong Ling Ching, Ung Yi Xing, and Siti Nurshuhaini Azman.
“I did leave BAM in the past, but that was nothing personal against the governing body, it was due to my injury.
“BAM has been instrumental in my growth over the years, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the training and support of BAM coaches as well as the support of my family.
“I’ve improved significantly under their guidance. My loyalty will always be with BAM, and there’s no doubt about that.
“My teammates have also helped me become a better player. We constantly learn from each other during our sparring sessions.
“I’m fully committed to BAM, and things are going really well for me there now,” said Letshanaa when contacted.
Currently in Sibu, Sarawak, competing in this year’s Sukma, Letshanaa expressed her hopes for improved performance in the multisport event.
“I definitely want to perform better this year. In the previous edition, which was held in Kuala Lumpur, I had just made a comeback after my injury and played my first competitive tournament.
“I was an independent player back then, and I won a silver medal in the women’s singles event.
“For this year’s Sukma, my main goal is to avoid putting too much pressure on myself and focus on bringing my best game to the court,” Letshanaa added.
Letshanaa, who has two Sudirman Cup bronze medals under her belt, will be competing for Selangor in the badminton mixed team event, scheduled to take place at the Sibu Indoor Stadium from today to August 20. – August 17, 2024
