MALAYSIA: RASHID TAKEN OFF NATIONAL TEAM

** This NEW SHUTTLENWS report is presented by YANG YANG BADMINTON PRODUCTS - Experience the LEGEND. **

May 3, 1997 (NEW SHUTTLENWS) - Rashid Sidek, the 1996 Olympic Games badminton men's singles bronze medalist from Malaysia, has been taken off the roster of the Malaysian national team that is going to vie for medal honors at the world badminton championships in Glasgow starting on May 19.

Sidek, Malaysia's best men's singles player, was removed from the team by the Badminton Association of Malaysia for not reporting to the team's practice sessions.

Sidek plays for the professional badminton organization Nusa Mahsuri who are often at odds with the badminton association. In this instance, Nusa Mahsuri had initially said that Rashid was still recuperating from injury. They also indicated that they felt that Misbun Sidek, Rashid's brother and Nusa Mahsuri coach, would do a better job of preparing Rashid for the world champioships.

In later discussions, Nusa Mahsuri also said that they wanted Rashid to focus on the individual world championships and that they did not want Rashid to play in the world mixed team competition that is played the week before. They also wanted the badminton association to send Misbun Sidek to Glasgow along with the team.

The badminton association had already laid down a policy that all national team players going to Glasgow should make themselves available to play in the world mixed team championships or Sudirman Cup competition.

They also had given Rashid a deadline by which date he had to start practicing with the national team. Rashid failed to meet this deadline and continued to be absent the team's practice sessions.

The absences and the continued negative stand by Nusa Mahsuri on Rashid's playing in the Sudirman Cup forced the badminton association's hand and they removed Rashid from the national team.

Nusa Mahsuri however is not taking the removal of Rashid from the national team lying down. Jalani Sidek, Nusa Mahsuri's general manager, has said that they will be taking the badminton association to court to get Rashid placed back on the team.

Meanwhile, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Malaysian minister of youth and sports, has offered to act as mediator between the badminton association and Nusa Mahsuri and has expressed his opinion that Nusa should not drag the matter into the courts of law. The minister had previously opted to stay out of the dispute.

(filed by jchang/written by migrossman)