For some badminton fans, the sport seems to have turned into a matter of life and death — quite literally.
A national player reportedly received a death threat following a poor performance, prompting the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to speak out against such behaviour.
BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh condemned the growing hostility among social media users, saying that many have lost their sense of judgement when expressing opinions online.
“Nowadays, people on social media seem to have lost their sense of judgment. It’s one thing to comment on performance, but it’s another to humiliate or issue death threats,” Kenny said.
He added that while constructive criticism is welcomed, intimidation and harassment will not be tolerated.
“There were comments like ‘I’ll wait for you at KLIA’ — those are serious threats, not feedback. We cannot allow that to continue. Our players must feel safe,” he stressed.
BAM will act according to the Safe Sport framework under the Youth and Sports Ministry to ensure the players’ safety and mental well-being.
Kenny also did not rule out the possibility that gambling-related frustration could be behind some of the hateful messages.
On Monday, BAM had already issued a strong statement condemning the surge of hate messages targeting national players after a series of disappointing results in recent European tournaments, including the Arctic Open, Denmark Open, and French Open.
About the Author
