PETALING JAYA: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz believes the compensation required from players who intend to leave the national squad before the end of their contracts is fair.

Zafrul explained that the proposal was put forward by committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei, who has called for BAM to take a firmer stance to prevent a waste of talent after significant investment has been made in developing players.

Zafrul likened the policy to scholarship agreements, where recipients must either serve their sponsors for a set period or repay the funds if they opt to leave early.

“He (Chong Wei) did mention that we need to be more firm. As a former player and a legend, he never left BAM and has his own views on ensuring that players who leave BAM should compensate the association, as the investment made on each player is substantial, running into millions from the early stages of their development until they turn professional.

“And I think from a governance perspective, it is fair. Everywhere we see, whether it is scholarships from companies, if the recipient does not fulfil the required service period of five to seven years, they have to repay it. It is the same principle, so I have no issue with it,” said Zafrul.