Misbun in hot demand, receives five offers from abroad

KUALA LUMPUR – Former Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) youth singles coaching director Datuk Misbun Sidek has received at least five offers from abroad after parting ways with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) recently.

Without revealing the list of countries trying to lure him, Misbun said that some of the offers for his services were from neighbouring countries, while there was an offer for him to guide a senior squad.

“Actually, there had already been offers even in the past few weeks after they found out that I had been fired, but I wanted to rest first.

“Everything depends on certain conditions that I set. If they agree then I will accept,” he said at a press conference here today.

Misbun, who said he needs time to think about the offers he has received, said that for now, he will focus first on grassroots development at the Nusa Mahsuri Badminton Club, which he and his siblings lead.

Misbun hinted that he is interested in training Thai, Singaporean, and European players as they have the potential to advance further.

“Based on the offers received, they have players who are in the top 10,” he said, while hoping that his touch outside would be able to produce another world number one player.

He has previously produced three world number one players, namely Wong Choong Hann, Roslin Hashim, and Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

In the meantime, Misbun did not rule out the possibility of bringing his younger brother Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek, also a former national doubles player, as his assistant if he goes abroad in the future.

“All this time, Jalani has been my backbone. I need him because in terms of analysis he knows, for example, why a player would not make a smash. That is one of his specialties,” he said.

Although he is already 63 years old, Misbun admitted, he is still not satisfied in the world of badminton and is ready to pass on his knowledge to players from outside after pouring his devotion into BAM.

Last Tuesday, BAM confirmed that Misbun had officially left the sport’s Malaysian governing body and considered the conflict between the two parties to be over.

Misbun was reported on August 9 to have sent a reply letter regarding the offer given by BAM, in an effort to persuade him to return following the termination of his contract as ABM’s youth singles coaching director last month.

Previously, BAM made the decision to terminate Misbun’s contract, through a special committee led by BAM deputy president 1 Datuk V. Subramaniam, following the dismal performance of the national junior squad at the 2023 Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta, Indonesia last month.

Misbun left BAM for the first time in 2011 before rejoining BAM for a second time in 2017, as the national men’s singles head coach.

In 2020, he was appointed as national youth development director, followed by the ABM youth singles coaching director last year. – Bernama, August 20, 2023