Kuala Lumpur: Misbun Sidek, a well-known and well-respected coach in the sport of badminton, has shed light on why he turned down the invitation from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to resume the role of Director of Youth Singles Coaching at the Academy of Badminton Malaysia (ABM) until the year’s end.
In a press conference held on Sunday, he told Malaysian media that the rationale centers on his desire to preserve the continuity of the existing program that was meticulously designed before him leaving BAM.
Misbun akui ada terima tawaran namun faktor kesuntukkan masa tidak membolehkan beliau menerimanya.🔥🔥#NadiArena #AstroArena pic.twitter.com/QxW27YOck4
— ASTRO ARENA (@ASTROARENA) August 20, 2023
The 63-year-old well-loved Sidek also said: “I’ve been overseeing preparations since the last World Youth Championship, and this should serve as a guide for meticulous planning moving forward. However, many significant things have happened within the past two weeks, making this a very unique situation.”
“Accepting the offer would have led to unraveling many additional factors, causing potential disruptions and discomfort in the preparations they’ve already undertaken. Thus, I’ve made the decision not to reclaim the position,” said Sidek.
Sidek also revealed that he had received several offers from other countries who were interested in his service.
Although he did not reveal the details of the offer, it is understood that Thailand and Singapore are among those who want to get Sidek’s touch.
Sidek said he never gave up on giving birth to the fourth world number one player after successfully doing so against Lee Chong Wei, Rashid Sidek, and Roslin Hashim.
He said he was seriously considering the offer he received because he wanted to share his knowledge and experience with the players.
“Indeed, my heart is for the country, but if my service is needed by foreign countries, they want my skill to shape their players, what’s wrong?”
“My hope is also to find a fourth world number one player and will go for it if there is potential to do it outside the country.”
“I haven’t made a decision yet because it depends on certain conditions that I put forward, but for now, I want to rest first because I haven’t rested for a long time,” concluded Sidek.
