KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek has voiced his disappointment over the involvement of ex-national shuttler Liew Daren and former National Sports Institute analyst Jerry Gan in betting activities.
Rashid said their actions have brought shame to Malaysian badminton, tarnishing the country's reputation on the international stage.
Rashid, who knows both Daren, a bronze medallist at the 2018 World Championships and Jerry personally, said he was shocked they would engage in unethical behaviour.
"Daren has a good personality. I coached him for more than 10 years, including during his time as a backup player at the BA of Malaysia (BAM). I never thought he would do something like this.
"I am saddened by this (betting issue), and to some extent, Malaysia's image has been tarnished again. Suddenly, Malaysia's name is in the spotlight once more," Rashid told Bernama today (Dec 21).
The Badminton World Federation (BWF) yesterday suspended Daren for 12 months and Jerry for three months after finding them guilty of betting activities.
The BWF confirmed that Daren had been involved in betting between 2018 and 2021.
Although the suspension holds little weight for Daren, who retired last year, Rashid said the scandal has stained the reputation of the former national shuttler.
He also added that the controversy could damage Jerry's career, making it difficult for him to regain trust from those who might consider his services in the future.
The 1996 Olympic bronze medallist said he hopes such issues will not resurface in Malaysian badminton.
Meanwhile, another former national player, Datuk James Selvaraj, said he was "baffled" by Daren's involvement and advised players to steer clear of any activities that could ruin their careers.
The former BAM high-performance director warned that betting-related activities are dangerous and can lead to addiction for those involved.
Sports analyst Sadek Mustafa called for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate whether betting activities have infiltrated the local badminton scene.
"BAM and professional clubs must take the necessary steps to assess the seriousness of this 'cancer' of betting in Malaysian badminton," he said.
The national badminton scene was previously rocked by a similar scandal in 2018 involving former shuttlers Zulfadli Zulkiffli and Tan Chun Seang, who were found guilty of match-fixing by the BWF.
The world body banned Zulfadli and Chun Seang for 20 years and 15 years, respectively, from all badminton activities. - Bernama