PETALING JAYA: After a seven-year hiatus, former national shuttler, Datuk Cheah Soon Kit (pic) is set to return to coaching, this time on foreign soil.
The 57-year-old, who won a men’s doubles silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, revealed that he has accepted a short-term assignment abroad, expected to last about six weeks. However, he declined to reveal the exact location, only hinting that it will be in Europe.
“I’ll be heading overseas next month, but just for a brief period. I can say it’s somewhere in Europe,” said Soon Kit during the launch of the “Sentuhan Wira” film project in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, which pays tribute to Malaysia’s 1992 Thomas Cup triumph.
“I’ve never coached abroad before, but the offer came after repeated approaches from the organisers. Since it’s a short-term stint, I agreed to it.
“I probably shouldn’t be saying too much as it’s only a temporary arrangement,” he added.
Soon Kit last served as a coach with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2016, overseeing the men’s doubles department.
His tenure ended two years later when his contract was not renewed.
Despite being away from the scene, Soon Kit has been keeping an eye on the national squad and is pleased with the men’s doubles performances over the past six months.
Top pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, currently ranked world No. 2, have enjoyed a strong run, winning the Asian Championships, Thailand Open and Singapore Open.
Rising duo Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun have also impressed, climbing to world No. 7 and securing the Indonesia Masters and Malaysia Masters titles.
Up-and-coming pair Fazriq Razif-Bryan Jeremy Goonting have shown signs of improvement as well, bouncing back from criticism to capture the Sri Lanka International crown.
Soon Kit hopes the pairs can sustain their fine form in the second half of the season.
“As a Malaysian, of course I want them to maintain this momentum. But to do that, they must stay hungry, remain consistent in their performance and, most importantly, learn to handle the pressure because that’s part and parcel of being at the top.
“In fact, they may need to work even harder now to hold on to what they’ve achieved,” said Soon Kit.
