PETALING JAYA: Junior men’s singles coach Yeoh Kay Bin believes efforts to close the gap between local players and their international counterparts must start immediately.
After two days in his new role, Kay Bin said among the 18 players under his charge, some already have a strong badminton foundation, while others still need plenty of work to reach their potential.
What pleases him most is seeing the young players show respect and follow instructions, which he considers crucial for anyone aiming to succeed.
For now, he plans to take time assessing each player’s character before deciding how to develop them into the next generation of national talents.
“Of course, this is a big challenge, but we have to start now because we cannot delay if we want to see results in the future.
“We cannot expect miracles in a short time. What matters is building players as best as we can with what we have,” said Kay Bin when met at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
At the same time, Kay Bin stressed that injury prevention is a priority from the early stages to ensure the players’ transition to the senior level is not disrupted.
“We are still focusing on physical development, but in a more scientific way so that a strong foundation can be built without exposing players to serious injury risks,” he added.
Kay Bin will also be assisted by two other coaches, Goh Giap Chin and Alvin Chew, to oversee 18 players aged between 15 and 18, using a phased approach to skill and physical development based on sports science.
At the same time, Kay Bin acknowledged that it may be difficult to apply the same training methods he used with Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia to these young players, given the difference in their levels.
Kay Bin coached Zii Jia for a year last year, but the 27-year-old player competed in few tournaments as he struggled with foot and back injuries.
“It’s different. Senior level and junior level are not the same.
“At junior level, it’s more about skill development and building up physical conditioning. So it’s different,” added Kay Bin.
