PETALING JAYA: Could the Badminton Association of Malaysia benefit from placing greater trust in local coaches?
Former world No. 2 men’s singles shuttler Yong Hock Kin believes so.
The 51-year-old, who now runs his own Yong Hock Kin Badminton Academy in Melaka, questioned why Malaysia have yet to produce another singles icon following the era of Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.
Hock Kin feels the systems in place at BAM are not running efficiently and believes top management have been too quick to shift responsibility to foreign coaches.
“If we look at BAM now, why can’t we follow up after Chong Wei?” said Hock Kin after a 'Train with a Legend' session and signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mahsa International School on Saturday (Feb 7).
The partnership will see his academy share their knowledge and expertise with the school, and in the future, open up the possibility of setting up a branch at the school in Bandar Saujana Putra to coach grassroots players.
Added Hock Kin: “I think there is a gap after Chong Wei because of the national programme. Other countries like China ensure their players reach the top level by the time they are 20 - their systems are designed that way.
“But here, each coach seems to be doing their own thing, and they are comfortable with how things are going.”
Hock Kin, who won gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and became the first singles player to win the Indonesian Open the same year, added that bringing in overseas coaches does not always work due to differences in mentality and approach.
"The European style is very different from the Asian way. The European way is heavy on psychology, and that’s because they are big and strong.
"It takes us three steps to cover one step of theirs, so things can’t be the same.
"They focus more on match preparation. That’s their method. Can we afford to do that? I don’t think so. We need to train much harder," he said.
BAM had brought in Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark as singles coaching director at the start of last year.
Although Hock Kin had worked under Danish legend Morten Frost during his time, he said what mattered was for the management team at BAM to be knowledgeable when it comes to training and development, rather than placing full responsibility on the coaching lineup.
"Why is it that BAM get coaches from overseas? Is it because then, when something doesn't work, they can just kick them out and put the blame on them?
"Then, they’ll find someone new and make them solve the problems. If something is wrong, it’s not BAM’s fault but the coaches.
"Ask the top people what the training schedules are like, and they wouldn’t know. And if they don’t, how are they to identify players?
"That’s the problem - the system. They bring in foreign coaches who perhaps can’t exactly work with our players," said Hock Kin.
Hock Kin added that he does not have any intention of joining the governing body, but hopes BAM will be able to put aside external issues and not let them affect on-court performances.
"There can’t be interference. Sports is not politics; if you want to do that, then do that on the side.
"Whatever it is, the most important thing is that the players are helped, and make sure the leaders can lead the players," he added.
