KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — A new badminton club, Sports Affairs Academy, has appointed 1996 Olympics badminton bronze medallist Rashid Sidek as its singles chief coach and named former national shuttler Rosman Razak as its doubles chief coach.
Club president Raezal Hussin said Rashid would be assisted by Indonesian coach Nova Armada Rashid. “All the coaches’ contracts commenced on May 1, for a three-year tenureship,” he told reporters here today.
National Sports Council director-general Datuk Shapawi Ismail launched the club.
Raezal said the club pledged to produce qualified national-level shuttlers, as well as for the Olympics.
He said it had 10 elite players who had the potential to compete in international championships.
They were Mohd Arif Ab Latif, Tan Chun Seang, Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayub for the men’s single; Sannatasah Saniru for women’s single; and Mohd Lutfi Zaim Abdul Khalid/Mohd Razif Ab Latif and Lim Khim Wah/Hoon Thien How for the men’s doubles.
Raezal said the other two were Indonesian players, Fikri Ihsandi Hadmadi and Rusyidina Antardayu Riodingin.
“All our elite athletes have signed a one-year contract (one plus one) and will undertake intensive training to ensure continuous professional development by focusing on the technical efficiency aspect,” he said.
“The academy’s mission is to prepare them for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics project.”
Raezal said the Sports Affairs Academy would hold a nationwide talent search campaign for players aged below 23 and 18 in June at its academy located in Taman Segar Perdana, Cheras, in Selangor.
As for Rashid, Raezal envisioned a long-term plan with the club, especially in the grassroots talent search that would churn more national badminton champions.
“We want them (Sports Affairs shuttlers) to prove that club players can become champions and excel. The club’s elite player who has the best ranking is (Mohd) Arif. “We will help him to gain points for qualifying in the Olympics. Other than that, my focus will be in the players development programme for the Under-17 and 23 categories,” he said. — Bernama
