PETALING JAYA: Former world No. 1 men’s doubles shuttler Marcus Gideon of Indonesia gave players at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) a treat after joining them for a day of training yesterday.
Marcus, who turned 35 last week, is in Malaysia for a family holiday but took the opportunity to train at ABM during his stay here.
Marcus had recently revealed that he was considering a return to competition after retiring in March 2024.
Marcus and former partner Kevin Sukamuljo were formidable during their heyday, holding the world No. 1 spot for 260 consecutive weeks from 2017 to 2022.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky explained that Marcus had reached out to him and asked if he could train at ABM.
“Marcus is just here for a holiday with his family, but he is someone who loves to sweat it out,” said Rexy.
“So Marcus asked if he could attend training at ABM, and of course I agreed. It’s also something that can benefit our players, especially the young ones.
“Marcus is 35, but he can still provide quality sparring sessions, and I hope the youngsters took it as a learning opportunity after seeing what he can still do on the court.”
