AirAsia Badminton Academy Takes Flight

PETALING JAYA, 26 SEPTEMBER 2012 – AirAsia, world’s best low cost carrier is taking the development of badminton a notch higher by launching the AirAsia Badminton Academy (AABA) in Petaling Jaya today. Together with partners Hai-O, FlexPro and isotonic drink 100 Plus, the AABA will see programs designed to nurture a new generation of badminton players and create world class champions whilst advancing the development of the sport in Malaysia.

The AABA in Petaling Jaya is one of three other academies that has been set-up with the other two located in Kepong and Klang. The academies in Petaling Jaya and Kepong features 16 rubber courts and the one Klang has 13.

Present at the launch of the academy were AirAsia Berhad Chairman Dato’ Aziz Bakar; AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes; AirAsia Berhad CEO Ms Aireen Omar; F&N Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd Managing Director Mr Khalid Avli; Hai-O Managing Director Mr Tan Kai Hee; FlexPro General Manager Mr Chen A Tsai and Secretary of Badminton Association Malaysia (BAM) Mr Ng Chin Chai.

Currently, a total of 120 students aged 12 and above are enrolled at the academy and are under the tutelage of four experienced coaches who were all formal national badminton players and are registered with the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Apart from training at the academy, the students also participate in numerous BWF sanctioned competitions and just recently they emerged as Team Champions at the Hong Kong International Tournament and were in third place at the World Chinese Badminton Championship in Beijing, China.

In the future, the students will also participate in tournaments in other countries such as Japan and Taiwan and many other international competitions.

Apart from that, there will also be the AirAsia Cup Badminton Tournament which will be held later this year in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The open tournament will feature five categories – men’s singles and doubles; women’s singles and doubles; and mixed doubles.

AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said, “AirAsia has always been active with the development of youth and sports. One of the best examples of how we have played a role in this is through the sole Malaysian competing in the MotoGP World Championships, Zulfahmi Khairuddin who rides for Team AirAsia SIC Ajo. Fahmi started his foray in the MotoGP when he was chosen in the AirAsia Malaysia Wildcard Program at the 2009 edition of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Three years on, he is now contending in the top 10 spot of the Moto3 category and has come very close to a podium finish.”

“With the opening of AABA, we hope we will able to develop young talents like Fahmi and produce a new generation of world class shuttlers and champions that will be able to take on international competitors as well as advance Malaysia’s supremacy in badminton.”

The AABA also organizes special clinics for the public as well as AirAsia staff. On top of sharpening their badminton skills, the clinics are also a platform to look out and identify up and coming talents to be trained under the academy.