PETALING JAYA: Doubles shuttler Ng Hui Lin has pleaded for an end to all the petty negativity so that she and her sister Hui Ern can focus on proving their worth on the badminton court.
Hui Lin and Hui Ern have been in the limelight for the wrong reasons since leaving the BA of Malaysia (BAM) fold last year to further their studies at the University of Loughborough in Britain.
Many feel that Hui Lin-Hui Ern, having left the national setup, should not be allowed to train at BAM’s facilities in Juara Stadium, which the sisters still do whenever they return to Kuala Lumpur during the holidays.
This has led to accusations of BAM practising double standards as others, like Tan Chun Seang, have been penalised for leaving the national squad.
Despite all the criticism, Hui Lin-Hui Ern have managed to strike a balance between studies and sport and are consistent performers in tournaments.
In fact, the pair, who are No. 2 in Malaysia, have fared better than the top national duo of Vivian Hoo-Woon Khe Wei in recent months with their best result being the runners-up finish in the Vietnam Open GP Gold in August.
Vivian-Khe Wei, who have struggled for consistency and fitness all year long, failed to get past the first round in eight tournaments and lost in the second round of the recent Indonesian Open GP Gold.
“We have nothing against the other players in BAM. We’re all good friends,” said Hui Lin, who is currently ranked No. 32 in the world with Hui Ern.
“It’s just that there has been an increase in negative news about us and this does affect our performance.
“I would like to point out that even though we train at the BAM facility, we don’t receive any incentives from them.
“We are completely on our own. We’re doing this only because we love the sport and strongly believe that we can contribute to the country.
“We have sacrificed a lot. I have even given up a JPA scholarship just to compete in the Uber Cup and it’s disappointing when people come down hard on us for no reason.
“We contribute to the team as sparring with us also helps the other players improve. And since we’re still competing in Europe, our ranking points will be taken into account to help the team qualify for the next Uber Cup.
“BAM have given us a lot opportunities and we’re grateful for that. Right now, what’s most important is that we finish our studies as soon as possible and return to contribute to the team,” added Hui Lin, who has two more years to go before she graduates.