KUALA LUMPUR: Dropping men's singles shuttlers Justin Hoh and Leong Jun Hao could severely weaken the national squad, says former international Datuk James Selvaraj.
He said both players should be retained for at least another year to improve their form, rather than being axed ahead of the qualifying campaign for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
"Based on current world rankings, Leong is 31st while Justin is 46th, making them two of the country's best men's singles players.
"If BAM wants to find men's singles players, there are not many options right now. Only these two have shown good performances based on their ranking, aside from Lee Zii Jia.
"If we drop them, what will happen to the rest? Younger players aged 16 or 17 might need another four to five years to reach a higher level," he said when contacted.
James said BAM must consider the time needed to develop younger talent before making hasty decisions, especially with the Olympic qualification period expected to begin between March and April next year.
BA of Malaysia performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei said a comprehensive evaluation will be conducted to determine which players will be retained, dropped or integrated into the association's development programmes in December.
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