With the juniors schooling, living and breathing badminton under one roof at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara, it is imperative that we continue to fortify the junior coaching setup under the Director of Youth Development, Datuk Dr. Misbun Sidek.
The under-18 singles department will be helmed by former national singles players; Hazwan Jamaluddin and Poh Chai Boon.
Three doubles specialists; Pang Cheh Chang, Vountus Indra Mawan and Lutfi Zaim will be in charge of the under-18 doubles unit.
Former internationals, Hafiz Hashim and Alvin Chew will be tasked with coaching the under-15 boys’ department.
Kwan Yoke Meng, a member of the 1992 Thomas Cup winning squad, will be given a new portfolio to head the development of the under-13 girls’ department while experienced coach Zhang Hong Yu will oversee the under-15 and under-14 girls’ departments.
All the coaches have collectively progressed through the ranks of the BAM development setup throughout their respective careers while Hong Yu, has spent two decades as a junior coach in Malaysia. They know our system well and are eager to pass on their know-how to the youth players.
I believe that with the guidance of Datuk Dr. Misbun, we will able to instil a high-disciplined, winning culture among the players at a very young age and assist with their transition into the senior national team.
At BAM, the continuous long-term development of the national juniors remains our utmost priority as we look to unearth the next generation of world beaters. We will continue to provide optimal environment to facilitate the development of all the 77 young players at the state-of-the-art ABM.
DATO’ SRI NORZA ZAKARIA
PRESIDENT, BADMINTON ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA (BAM)
