Badminton: Promising shuttler Letshanaa quits BAM due to injury

PETALING JAYA: Singles shuttler K. Letshanaa (pic) has stop the countrywide crew.

Yesterday, countrywide coaching singles director Wong Choong Hann confirmed that the 18-year-outdated Letshanaa has decided to end her small tenure with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) thanks to a back issue.

She submitted her resignation letter late very last thirty day period, hence her absence in the not long ago concluded Asia Team Championships.

“She has been nursing a back personal injury given that late past 12 months. We regard her request to depart and will reconsider when she is ready to return,” explained Choong Hann.

She is the fifth singles participant to leave the national women’s singles workforce above the previous 18 months soon after Soniia Cheah, Ho Yen Mei, Lee Ying Ying and Goh Jin Wei. The other people who also still left this year are Lee Zii Jia (men’s singles) and Lee Meng Yean (women’s doubles).

Letshanaa built heads switch when she received the nationwide Under-18 title in 2017 at just 14.

Witnessed as a vivid expertise, Letshanaa from Selangor bypassed the BAM youth development program to join the countrywide crew in 2020. She sparred with the seniors in a bid to speedy-track her changeover to the elite squad but instead, was slowed down by her injury and the lockdown owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Choong Hann reported they tried using to support her regain her variety.

“Recovering from an injuries for the duration of the lockdown almost certainly was too a great deal for a young participant like Letshanaa. She located it pretty tricky to cope,” claimed Choong Hann.

“An MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scan was completed but it didn’t suggest or clearly show the increase of the back injuries that she was going by. She even now had troubles during schooling. We experienced requested her to get a next belief.

“All these had put heavy stress on her. She was restless and identified it tough to slumber at the academy. We have spoken to her dad and mom and primarily based on a mutual knowledge, we have made a decision that it was ideal for Letshanaa to have her relatives assist now.”

The promising shuttler, who built her debut in the Uber Cup Finals in Aarhus, Denmark, has not featured in any tournament due to the fact she attained the quarter-finals of the Czech Open in Oct past calendar year.

She was meant to return for 3 again-to-again tournaments in Europe in January this year – Estonian International, Swedish Open and Ukraine Open – but the BAM had to pull her out as she was still not match fit.

Requested no matter if her absence would have an effect on the women’s singles department, who experienced also shed their mentor Indra Wijaya, Choong Hann stated: “We will aim on whoever is however listed here and committed to coach.”

Without having Letshanaa, people remaining in the depleting squad are S. Kisona, Eoon Qi Xuan, Myisha Khairul and rookies who ended up promoted – Siti Nurshuhaini Azman, Joanne Ng, Tan Zhing Yi, Kho Jing Wen and Loh Zhi Wei.

On the substitution for Indra, who is now coaching impartial shuttler Zii Jia, Choong Hann mentioned: “We will announce the applicant before long.”