Kuala Lumpur: Just five days ago, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) revealed that Wong Choong Hann, the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) singles coaching director, is scheduled to visit China in the coming days. His purpose is to conduct a brief assessment of the facilities and engage in discussions regarding logistics before the national players are sent to the renowned Li Yongbo Badminton Academy. This proactive step aims to ensure proper preparations and facilitate a smooth transition for Malaysian players in their training venture.
In a surprising turn of events, Wong Choong Hann officially resigned from his position on Friday. BAM has accepted his resignation, marking the end of his nearly five-year tenure with the organization.
Wong Choong Hann initially took on the role of head coach for BAM in November 2018. However, towards the end of last year, when Indonesian coach Rexy Mainaky rejoined the team, BAM decided to divide the coaching director position into singles and doubles, with Wong Choong Hann solely responsible for singles training.
According to Malaysian media, Wong Choong Hann actually submitted his resignation last week, and it was subsequently approved by BAM. As a result, Hendrawan will now lead the men’s singles division, with the assistance of Tey Seu Bock and James Chua, until a new singles coaching director is appointed.
Expressing his gratitude, Wong Choong Hann stated, “I am thankful to BAM for granting me the opportunity to lead the Malaysian badminton team for almost five years. I have gained invaluable experience during my tenure. However, now it is time for me to step down, and I sincerely wish the team all the best.”
Speculation suggests that Wong’s resignation could be linked to the recent elimination of the women’s team by the Philippines in the SEA Games team competition. As a result of that poor performance, BAM announced the immediate dismissal of Dr. Tim Jones, the high-performance director of the ABM, and the resignation of chief executive officer Michelle Chai.
Wong now joins the list of coaches who have departed from BAM this year, which includes former All-England champion Hafiz Hashim, who has taken up a coaching position in India, Vountus Indra Mawan, who is now coaching in Australia, and Kuan Yoke Meng.
