New S’pore Badminton Association CEO looks to systematic approach for sustained success

Woo Kaiwei takes over the helm as Singapore Badminton Association chief executive officer on April 3. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

David Lee

UPDATED Apr 03, 2025, 01:24 PM

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SINGAPORE – To become a true force in world badminton, the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) needs to build a systematic approach to enhance the odds of producing a steady and growing pipeline of top players.

This is the vision of new SBA chief executive officer Woo Kaiwei, who starts work on April 3. He replaces Alan Ow, who stepped down at the end of 2024 and has since become the CEO of the Law Society of Singapore.

Woo told The Straits Times: “We should rely less on luck and chance, and a systematic approach means letting the whole system generate, groom and nurture talent.”

Besides identifying home-grown talent, he noted that SBA remains open to naturalising foreign-born players from South-east Asia, should such talent become available through their scouting.