PETALING JAYA: They may be on different benches and handling different departments, but the Zainuddin brothers Iskandar Zulkarnain and Ameer Amri are united by a shared mission to help raise the standard of Malaysian badminton.
Iskandar, who spent the past five years in Ireland, is set to return home after being appointed as the new women’s singles coach.
His younger brother Ameer is currently serving as an assistant coach for the independent doubles squad led by Teo Kok Siang.
Meanwhile, their eldest brother, Mohd Amzar, is also contributing to the sport as a coach with the junior squad at the Bukit Jalil Sports School.
Ameer is thrilled by his brother’s return and believes Iskandar is the right choice to take charge of the women’s singles department, given his experience as both a player and coach.
“We’ve always been a badminton-crazy family and share a deep passion for the sport. Personally, I’ve learned a lot about coaching from my elder brother,” said Ameer.
“To be honest, before he made the decision to come back, it was an emotional process for him. There were a lot of things to consider. As siblings, we fully supported his decision.
“One of the main reasons he chose to return was because opportunities like this don’t come often.
“On top of that, our parents are getting older, and he wants to spend more time with them after being away in Ireland for so long.”
Ameer added that his brother has grown both personally and professionally since leaving the national body seven years ago.
“I can see how much more mature he has become after stepping into coaching. His discipline is better and he is very passionate about what he does.
“When former players like us move into coaching, we tend to reflect on the mistakes we made during our playing days. That is something we now share with the younger generation so they do not repeat the same errors.
“While in Ireland, he coached Rachael Darragh, so I believe he will have no problem handling the national women’s squad,” added Ameer.
At the end of his stint with Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2018, Iskandar went through a challenging period.
The former World Junior Championships runner-up struggled with form and was eventually dropped from the Asian Games squad after being suspended for smoking.
However, since venturing into coaching, Iskandar has channelled his experience positively, playing a key role in improving the standard of badminton in Ireland.
He was instrumental in the rise of Ireland’s top men’s singles player Nhat Nguyen, who is currently ranked 33rd in the world. Iskandar also helped ensure both Nguyen and Darragh qualified for the Paris Olympics.
Iskandar will begin his new role officially on October 1, taking over from Jeffer Rosobin who stepped down in February.
