KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — The Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) decision to restructure its coaching setup recently is a wise move, but it should appoint a high-performance director to lead the coaching teams for both the singles and doubles departments, said national badminton legend Datuk Razif Sidek.
He believes that having a high-performance director would not only support the country’s coaching lineup but also further enhance the performance of Malaysia’s badminton squad.
“Looking at BAM’s current coaching structure, I believe there is a need for a High Performance Director to oversee the national coaching team. From what I see, they have head coaches for both the singles and doubles departments, but who will oversee both of these departments?
“That is why I think BAM should consider reinstating the position of High Performance Director, as it had done before,” he told Bernama.
Prior to this, the national badminton governing body finalised its key coaching appointments by naming Kenneth Jonassen as the Singles Coaching Director, while Rexy Mainaky will now focus entirely on his role as the Doubles Coaching Director.
Acting BAM president Datuk V. Subramaniam said the decision was made after careful consideration to optimise coaching expertise and enhance player development across all levels.
Meanwhile, Razif emphasised that if BAM intends to appoint a high-performance director, the chosen individual must possess expertise in both the singles and doubles sectors.
“The person appointed must be well-versed in both areas. If they only specialise in one department, I believe there will be issues in the long run.
“Additionally, they should also be knowledgeable about the latest developments in badminton, both domestically and internationally,” he said.
For the record, among those who have previously held the position of BAM’s high-performance director are former national player Datuk James Selvaraj and Tim Jones.
— Bernama
