KUALA LUMPUR (9 December 2021): Teams are beginning to feel the heat in the Malaysia Purple League (MPL) as the Top Glove Purple League Pro-Am (TGPLPA) draw was announced yesterday.
The draw was hosted as a virtual event at the MPL headquarters in Kuala Lumpur with team managers joining the proceedings remotely from their respective camps. The result of the draw saw 10 teams drafted into 2 groups.
Malaysia Purple League’s (MPL) Chief Operating Officer, Ho Khek Mong conveyed his best wishes to all participating teams.
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish all participating teams the best of luck in the upcoming tournament. I’m certain that the players are keen to show their full potential on the court,” said Khek Mong.
He added “I hope all Malaysian badminton players will grow through this U-23 platform with the Malaysia Purple League and that clubs will leverage this opportunity to develop more talent for the Badminton Association Malaysia (BAM)”.
Petaling Jaya BC’s team manager, Yeo Seow Chung felt that the recent COVID-19 pandemic had affected many clubs in their preparations for the upcoming TGPLPA tournament. However, Petaling Jaya BC, one of the clubs who have been competing in all MPL competitions since its inception in 2014, remained focused on their goal of clinching the title in their inaugural TGPLPA campaign.
Although, powerhouses Ampang BC and Butterworth BC are seen as favourites in the competition, Seow Chung believes that this edition will be unpredictable. He said, “Many players have been facing difficulties due to the pandemic. However, our team has been training vigorously and I have high hopes for them”.
Group A saw top seeded Butterworth BC, DSBC Labuan, Bangi City BC, Seremban City BC and Serdang BC being grouped together. On the other hand, highfliers Ampang Jaya BC, Jinjang BC, Petaling Jaya BC, Rawang BC and Bandar Maharani BC will be battling each other for the top 2 spots in Group B to progress to the semi-finals.
The TGPLPA will be held from the Dec 21-26 at the Kompleks Kejiranan Presint 11 in Putrajaya. The 10 teams will compete in a single round-robin format in their respective groups and the top 2 teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
