PETALING JAYA: Former world No. 1 men’s doubles shuttler Marcus Gideon of Indonesia was spotted at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) but he is not joining the national badminton team.
Marcus, who turned 35 last week, gave players a rare treat when he joined them for a day of training yesterday.
The talented player is in Malaysia for a family holiday and took the opportunity to train with the Malaysian players during his stay here.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky said 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 could still do on the court,” added Rexy.
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.
