kwun
11-11-2002, 06:57 PM
Indra makes way for BAM to set up local coaching set-up
Star Online.
By RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have decided that they no longer need the services of Indra Gunawan to coach the national men’s singles players.
The BAM president, Datuk Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, said that in their meeting with Indra yesterday, the Indonesia also agreed with their plans to give the local coaches a bigger role to play in the national teams.
Indra is seconded to the BAM by the National Sports Council (NSC). His contract with the NSC expires on Dec 31 but he has been offered a two-year extension.
“For now, we have not decided on who to replace Indra. But we have short-listed and met several candidates. We will be meeting them again. We will announce the appointment in a few days’ time.”
The current men’s singles coaches in the BAM set-up are Yong Hock Kin and Teh Seu Bok. Kwan Yoke Meng has decided to quit.
Among the candidates whom the BAM met recently were the country’s former number one singles players, the Sidek brothers, Misbun and Rashid. Misbun is now the chief coach of professional club Nusa Mahsuri.
News not to retain Indra must surely come as a disappointment to the current batch of national men’s singles players. They had over the last few days voiced their wish for the BAM to retain Indra.
The 55-year-old Indra appeared calm during the press conference at Nadzmi’s office yesterday.
He said: “Even during tournaments, I do not feel tense like this ? When I joined the BAM in 2001, I only wanted to stay for two years and I have decided to do just that. I have been coaching too long and I am old.
“I have been a coach for 19 years. I will not take up a full-time coaching job anymore.
“It is a heavy responsibility to be the coach. It is mentally exhausting and you cannot bear it for a very long time. I came here with good intentions and I will return home with no ill feeling.”
Indra was offered an extension of his contract by the NSC just before the Asian Games began in Busan in September. But the former Indonesian head coach angered BAM officials when he said that he wanted some changes, including better communication between the management and coaches, to take place if he were to continue coaching in Malaysia.
But Nadzmi said yesterday that Indra’s comments were blown out of proportions by the media.
He said that the BAM would not severe their relationships with Indra completely and would call him up as a consultant on a short-term basis.
“We also met Indra on Saturday and find that the issue on his statement were petty,” said Nadzmi.
“For us, Indra has done a great job for Malaysia and we will still work with him. He has agreed to become our consultant. He will return to Malaysia for short stints to help us on some of our activities and projects.”
Indra is the second foreign coach to leave the BAM. Prior to the Asiad, South Korean Park Joo-bong, the doubles chief coach, decided to leave.
Nadzmi defended their new policy to rely on local coaches.
“I admit that we cannot compare our locals with Indra and Joo-bong at this moment. But we need to help and support them.
“We can criticise them in constructive way but they need to be given the chance to take up the responsibilities,” he said.
“We want to make Malaysia the centre of excellence of badminton. We have produced world-class players and if we plan from now, we will produce coaches of calibre too.”
Excluding the outgoing Joo-bong, Indra and Yoke Meng, there are now a total of 14 coaches under the BAM banner.
Besides Seu Bok and Hock Kin, the other local coaches are Tan Kim Her (men’s doubles); Cheah Soon Kit (women’s doubles); Rosman Razak (Special Project squad); Yap Kim Hock, Pang Cheh Chang, Koay Kar Lin, and Mohktar Sham (Bukit Jalil Sports School).
The foreigners in the set-up are Indonesians Fanny Kumala Mergawati (women’s singles) and Basri Yusuf (Special Project squad); and Chinese Zhou Kejian, Sun Chenhua and Zhang Hongyu (BJSS).
Star Online.
By RAJES PAUL
KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have decided that they no longer need the services of Indra Gunawan to coach the national men’s singles players.
The BAM president, Datuk Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, said that in their meeting with Indra yesterday, the Indonesia also agreed with their plans to give the local coaches a bigger role to play in the national teams.
Indra is seconded to the BAM by the National Sports Council (NSC). His contract with the NSC expires on Dec 31 but he has been offered a two-year extension.
“For now, we have not decided on who to replace Indra. But we have short-listed and met several candidates. We will be meeting them again. We will announce the appointment in a few days’ time.”
The current men’s singles coaches in the BAM set-up are Yong Hock Kin and Teh Seu Bok. Kwan Yoke Meng has decided to quit.
Among the candidates whom the BAM met recently were the country’s former number one singles players, the Sidek brothers, Misbun and Rashid. Misbun is now the chief coach of professional club Nusa Mahsuri.
News not to retain Indra must surely come as a disappointment to the current batch of national men’s singles players. They had over the last few days voiced their wish for the BAM to retain Indra.
The 55-year-old Indra appeared calm during the press conference at Nadzmi’s office yesterday.
He said: “Even during tournaments, I do not feel tense like this ? When I joined the BAM in 2001, I only wanted to stay for two years and I have decided to do just that. I have been coaching too long and I am old.
“I have been a coach for 19 years. I will not take up a full-time coaching job anymore.
“It is a heavy responsibility to be the coach. It is mentally exhausting and you cannot bear it for a very long time. I came here with good intentions and I will return home with no ill feeling.”
Indra was offered an extension of his contract by the NSC just before the Asian Games began in Busan in September. But the former Indonesian head coach angered BAM officials when he said that he wanted some changes, including better communication between the management and coaches, to take place if he were to continue coaching in Malaysia.
But Nadzmi said yesterday that Indra’s comments were blown out of proportions by the media.
He said that the BAM would not severe their relationships with Indra completely and would call him up as a consultant on a short-term basis.
“We also met Indra on Saturday and find that the issue on his statement were petty,” said Nadzmi.
“For us, Indra has done a great job for Malaysia and we will still work with him. He has agreed to become our consultant. He will return to Malaysia for short stints to help us on some of our activities and projects.”
Indra is the second foreign coach to leave the BAM. Prior to the Asiad, South Korean Park Joo-bong, the doubles chief coach, decided to leave.
Nadzmi defended their new policy to rely on local coaches.
“I admit that we cannot compare our locals with Indra and Joo-bong at this moment. But we need to help and support them.
“We can criticise them in constructive way but they need to be given the chance to take up the responsibilities,” he said.
“We want to make Malaysia the centre of excellence of badminton. We have produced world-class players and if we plan from now, we will produce coaches of calibre too.”
Excluding the outgoing Joo-bong, Indra and Yoke Meng, there are now a total of 14 coaches under the BAM banner.
Besides Seu Bok and Hock Kin, the other local coaches are Tan Kim Her (men’s doubles); Cheah Soon Kit (women’s doubles); Rosman Razak (Special Project squad); Yap Kim Hock, Pang Cheh Chang, Koay Kar Lin, and Mohktar Sham (Bukit Jalil Sports School).
The foreigners in the set-up are Indonesians Fanny Kumala Mergawati (women’s singles) and Basri Yusuf (Special Project squad); and Chinese Zhou Kejian, Sun Chenhua and Zhang Hongyu (BJSS).