PETALING JAYA: Former national women’s singles player Soniia Cheah has been appointed Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association's (KLBA) first sports director, a newly created position.
Soniia's appointment was confirmed by KLBA president Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohd Yunoos, who believes the 33-year-old former shuttler has the potential not only to help improve the performance of young players under the association, but also to further strengthen KLBA’s sports management.
He explained that Soniia was brought in for the role as he wanted to give space and opportunities to young former players to inject fresh ideas into KLBA.
“She is an Olympian and was previously with BAM as well. I found her to be very motivated, so we decided to give her an opportunity,” said Jahaberdeen.
“As KLBA president, I place great emphasis on people development. That is why I want to give her the opportunity to develop and to grow. This is part of the Jejak Juara programme, which focuses on developing coaches, not just players.
"Coaches also need to be nurtured, and for that reason we are giving her the opportunity to showcase her abilities.
“I believe we need to give opportunities to the younger generation because times have changed. We need to place our trust in young people. In addition, KLBA also have plans to organise tournaments such as the InterCity.
"Therefore, we need someone who is young and energetic, and able to move around actively to carry out these plans," he said.
Soniia will also be tasked with strengthening sports management, monitoring players and clubs, collecting data, and exploring international collaborations in her role as KLBA’s sports director.
Soniia was once the country’s No. 1 women’s singles player and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 23.
She also competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games as a professional player, but was forced to announce her retirement at the end of 2022 due to recurring foot injuries.
