KUALA LUMPUR: Men's singles shuttlers, Soong Joo Ven and Lim Chi Wing are still safe and relevant members of the national squad, according to men's singles coach Misbun Sidek.
Misbun said the two players should still remain in the squad for another year as they are part of his plans in raising the standards of other up-and-coming shuttlers.
"Based on their current performance, the two players are expected to remain in the national squad for another year. Take Joo Ven for example, we have been working on him for some time now and we are finally able to see improvement.
"We figured out that he wasn't getting enough input from his previous training programme in relation to his capacity as a player. It's good to have players like Joo Ven in the squad because he helps younger players like Lee Zii Jia improve as well.
"They are the best besides Lee Chong Wei. And since Chong Wei is not around right now, these younger players have got no one to look up to.
"As for Chi Wing, he was a national champion and an experienced player. He has been easy to work with and I have plans for him," said Misbun, when met on Friday.
The BA of Malaysia (BAM) are currently in the process of trimming down the size of the national squad. At least 12 players are expected to be dropped next month.
Joo Ven and Chi Wing were said to be the players to be axed following their inconsistent performance since joining the national squad.
However, Misbun, who returned to the national stable last July, refuted the claims, saying the decision to retain or drop players lies in his hands.
"I decide if they should be dropped or not. For now, I want them in the national squad.
"Honestly, our Malaysian shuttlers take time to mature. If you notice you start seeing our local shuttlers excel only after leaving the national squad," added Misbun.