Ireland men’s singles shuttler Nhat Nguyen (left) listening to his coach, Malaysian Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin during the time break while against Malaysia’s Leong Jun Hao in the first round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Wednesday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: Former men’s singles shuttler Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin has confirmed that he is considering an offer from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to return as a coach.
Iskandar currently serves as Ireland’s singles coach and is under contract with the European nation until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
He was in Kuala Lumpur to guide his charge, Nhat Nguyen, at the Malaysian Masters. The 24-year-old pulled off a comeback win over national hopeful Leong Jun Hao in the opening round on Wednesday (May 21), prevailing 10-21, 21-18, 21-9.
Iskandar, however, was treading carefully before making any decisions, especially after recently relocating his family to Ireland.
“I’ve been contacted by someone from BAM, but I’m still not sure,” said the 33-year-old.
“My contract runs until 2028, Nguyen is still young, and my family just moved to Ireland. So I have to consider everything thoroughly.
“I’m also unsure if the position offered is for the men’s or women’s singles department.”
BAM are currently looking to fill a vacancy in their singles coaching set-up following the sudden resignation of women’s singles coach Jeffer Rosobin at the end of February.
