PETALING JAYA: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) high performance director Dr Tim Jones does not want to get in the way of doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky (pic).
Jones said although he has the authority to make the final call on the appointment of a new mixed doubles coach, Rexy was more capable of scouting for the right candidate.
The mixed doubles coach’s position has been left vacant since Paulus Firman left in April.
“I will deal with the formal discussions around making offers and salary etc, but he (Rexy) will be the one to do the scouting for potential candidates,” said Jones.
“He will continue to have more conversations with the candidates regularly since he attends most of the tournaments. I believe face to face conversations are always best in identifying the candidate.
“I will be having further discussions on this matter this week to know the latest development.”
BAM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria on Saturday gave the go-ahead for Rexy to identify the candidate for the post of mixed doubles coach after the council have agreed on the budget. Rexy has informally spoken to two former national coaches Chin Eei Hui and Lim Pek Siah but no formal negotiations were made.
Independent coach Eei Hui’s contract as the national mixed doubles coach was not renewed at the end of 2019 while Pek Siah also did not get an extension to her contract as the women’s doubles coach a year earlier.
Eei Hui, who was responsible in guiding Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying to the mixed doubles silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, has a proven track record and currently is in charge of mixed pairs Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie as well as men’s pairs Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi and Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong as an independent coach.
Pek Siah has also been doing well as the mixed doubles head coach with Singapore BA where her charges Terry Hee-Jessica Tan won the country’s first Commonwealth Games gold in badminton in Birmingham last week.
Jones said Rexy will get the chance to get further information on the potential coaches during the World Championships in Tokyo from Aug 21-28 and the Japan Open in Osaka from Aug 30-Sept 4.
Jones said the new coach will get at least a two-year deal until the 2024 Paris Olympics but there is also a possibility of a longer tenure based on the credentials and track record of the candidate.
