KUALA LUMPUR: Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria has received the inaugural Sports Leadership Award, presented by the Sportswriters Association of Malaysia (SAM), at the SAM-100PLUS 2022 Awards ceremony. The event is scheduled for next Tuesday (Sept 5).
Hazreen Mubarak, the vice-president of SAM, stated that Mohamad Norza, who also serves as the president of the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), has demonstrated strong leadership in handling issues related to the administration and management of national sports bodies. “His leadership quality is undeniable. We hope this award will inspire Tan Sri Mohamad Norza to continue his efforts in enhancing sports bodies in the country,” Mubarak said in a statement on Monday (Aug 28).
Mohamad Norza took over the position of BAM president in 2017 following the resignation of Tan Sri Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff due to health reasons. During his tenure, Malaysia has achieved various successes at the international level, including the country’s first world badminton championship title won by the men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik last year.
Under Mohamad Norza’s leadership, significant initiatives were introduced, such as implementing key performance indicators (KPI) and merit-based assessments for senior players. These efforts led to the emergence of young talents like singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia, as well as Aaron-Wooi Yik and women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah.
At the OCM, Mohamad Norza introduced several initiatives, including transparent athlete selection for major games and the revitalization of the OCM Athletes Commission (AC). This included granting awards and the participation of AC representatives in OCM Executive Board meetings.
Mohamad Norza’s leadership excellence extends beyond the national level, as he was appointed as the chairman of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Sports for All Committee and also holds the position of honorary president of Badminton Asia.
In addition to honoring outstanding athletes from last year, the SAM-100PLUS 2022 Awards ceremony will also recognize sports journalists with cash prizes worth more than RM50,000. The awards for journalists are divided into six categories, including Best News Report (Print Media), Best News Report (Electronic Media), Best News Commentary (Print Media), Best News Commentary (Electronic Media), Best Special Report (Open), and Best Sports Photography.
The overall winner of the Sports Journalism category will be presented with the Siebel Award, which carries a cash prize of RM7,000 and a trophy. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
