PETALING JAYA: Former women’s doubles shuttler Lee Meng Yean may no longer be chasing Olympic Games glory, but she is now driven to help the next generation fulfil that dream for Malaysia.
The 31-year-old Meng Yean has gone into coaching at her own Future Champs Badminton Academy after losing in the group stage at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with Chow Mei Kuan.
The disappointment has only fuelled Meng Yean to find a future winner at the major Games one day.
“I was a national player and an Olympian. I wasn’t able to win an Olympic medal, but I hope to fulfil that dream by helping youngsters to achieve it,” said Meng Yean.
After ending her playing career, Meng Yean joined the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) as the women’s doubles coach in February 2022 but left in November 2023.
Now, Meng Yean is keeping herself busy by guiding around 50 students under her programme with the best competing in the Junior Elite Tour.
The academy has three training centres - in Sungai Long, Kepong, OUG and a fourth location in the pipeline for Kajang.
“The goal is to develop players from the ages of seven to 12 to the state level, and eventually to the national level. We hope to expand the programme to schools too,” she said.
Former national junior coach Zhang Hongyu, who served BAM for more than two decades, is the academy’s head coach.
“She (Hongyu) was my former coach as well, and I’m honoured to have her as a partner at the academy,” added Meng Yean.
Mean Yean, who joined Bukit Jalil Sports School from Melaka at 13, has an advice for the young players - nothing comes easy.
“It was hard to be away from home at such a young age.
“The journey to BAM, and then to the Olympics, was not easy. There was immense pressure and people used to say things to put you down.
“But if a player truly wants to achieve their goal, they need to be strong mentally.
“Players need someone to guide them and lead them forward in their next steps and having a good coach helps,” added Meng Yean, who also highlighted the role of her mother as a pillar of strength in her younger days.
