‘A great coach does not merely teach a player how to win; he builds the skills, character and confidence that allow the player to win without him.’ – A badminton fan
This week, I feel particularly happy and proud of one Malaysian badminton coach who has been making waves overseas.
His name is Wong Choong Hann, the former Malaysian international and former coaching director of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), who is now head coach of the Hong Kong badminton team.
And what a job he appears to be doing. Two of his charges, Jason Gunawan and Lee Cheuk Yiu, reached the men’s singles final of the China Masters – an achievement that represents a significant milestone for Hong Kong badminton. For a Malaysian badminton fan like me, this is something worth celebrating.
I follow badminton closely, and naturally I am all smiles whenever our Malaysian players perform well. Conversely, I can be rather sad and disappointed when our boys and girls fall well below expectations.
But this time, I want to focus not on the players but on the coach.
Following Hong Kong’s impressive showing, I came across suggestions that BAM should bring Choong Hann back into its fold.
I beg to differ. Why should we always think that whenever a Malaysian coach does well overseas, we must bring him home?
Perhaps we should look at it differently. Let me say this – let our Malaysian coaches shine overseas.
Choong Hann has been in Hong Kong since 2023, after leaving his position with BAM. He took up the challenge because he wanted to step outside his comfort zone, and he has spoken positively about the experience of coaching outside Malaysia.
That experience is valuable not only to him but also to Malaysian badminton. If a Malaysian coach can help raise the standard of badminton in another country, that is a reflection of the quality of our coaching system and the talent we have produced.
Choong Hann is certainly not alone. Malaysia has produced a remarkable pool of coaches whose expertise is now sought after beyond our shores. Jeremy Gan has coached in Japan and is now part of Hong Kong’s coaching setup. Tan Bin Shen, formerly associated with Malaysia’s doubles programme, has also moved to Hong Kong.
Then there is Lee Wan Wah, who has been involved with Japan’s national men’s team, and Tan Kim Her, who has made a name for himself in India. Chin Eei Hui has also taken her coaching expertise to New Zealand.
These are not failures of our system. Quite the contrary. They are evidence that Malaysian coaching expertise has international value.
For years, Malaysian badminton has benefited from foreign expertise. We have welcomed coaches from Indonesia, Denmark and elsewhere because we recognised that good ideas, knowledge and experience should never be restricted by nationality.
Look at Indonesian coaches such as Hendrawan, who has made a significant contribution to Malaysian men’s singles, and Flandy Limpele, who served in Malaysia’s doubles programme. Then there was Indonesian legend Rexy Mainaky, an Olympic champion and one of the world’s most respected doubles figures, who joined BAM in a senior coaching role. BAM itself described his appointment as a move to strengthen and revitalise Malaysia’s doubles programme.
We also had Denmark’s Morten Frost, one of the great names of world badminton, serving Malaysian badminton in senior technical roles. He brought a different perspective and different ideas to our system.
So why should we hesitate when the reverse happens? If Malaysia can benefit from foreign coaches coming here, other countries should be equally entitled to benefit from Malaysian coaches going there.
There is another important point which I must also stress. A coach who works overseas does not necessarily cease being an asset to Malaysia. He becomes an ambassador of Malaysian badminton. He carries with him our methods, experience, discipline and knowledge. At the same time, he learns from another badminton culture and another sporting system.
That exchange can only be healthy. Imagine if more Malaysian coaches were given the opportunity to work in Japan, India, Hong Kong, China, Europe, Australia or elsewhere. They would return one day, if and when they choose to, with a much broader understanding of international badminton.
And if they decide to remain abroad for a longer period, we should still wish them well. We should not regard every Malaysian who succeeds overseas as someone who must be brought home.
Badminton is an international sport. Players, coaches, sports scientists, trainers and technical experts move across borders. Knowledge moves with them.
Malaysia’s ambition should therefore not simply be to keep all our best people at home. It should be to become a country that produces so much talent that the world wants our players and coaches. That would be something to be proud of.
Of course, BAM must continue developing a strong national coaching structure and ensure that Malaysian coaches who remain at home are properly rewarded and given opportunities to progress. There is little point in complaining about losing coaches overseas if we fail to make coaching an attractive and respected profession here. Indeed, a recent report noted that Malaysian coaches are in high demand abroad and highlighted the need for competitive remuneration to retain coaching talent.
But let us not confuse retaining talent with restricting talent. If Wong Choong Hann is doing well in Hong Kong, let him continue doing so. If Jeremy Gan is contributing to Japanese or Hong Kong badminton, let him. If Tan Kim Her can help India produce better players, good for him.
And if other Malaysian coaches receive offers from overseas, we should perhaps congratulate them rather than immediately asking: “When are you coming home?”
Because sometimes the best way to serve Malaysian badminton is not necessarily to work in Malaysia.
Sometimes, it is to go out into the world, prove what Malaysians can do, learn from others and leave a Malaysian footprint wherever we go.
Let our coaches shine. Let our players shine. And when they do, let us be proud enough to say: They are Malaysians, and they are showing the world what Malaysians can do.
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DISCLAIMER:
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com.
