BAM shuttlers to hear 'other voices' as coaching monopolies end [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: The BA of Malaysia (BAM) will abandon the long-standing practice of assigning coaches to just one or two players, with national coaching director Kenneth Jonassen saying the new rotation-based system is crucial to fixing gaps in player development.

The change follows the promotion of Tey Seu Bock to senior singles coach and forms part of a wider restructuring of the national singles set-up.

Jonassen said the new approach is designed to ensure players are exposed to multiple coaching voices across training blocks and tournaments, rather than becoming dependent on a single coach.

"I feel that his presence and his experience at the highest level are crucial for our players to get that input in day-to-day training," said Jonassen of Seu Bock.

"But it's also important that it's not like it may have been in the past, where coaches follow only one or two players."

Instead, players will rotate between coaches, allowing different perspectives to be applied to technical, tactical and developmental issues.

"Sometimes it's important to hear the voice of other coaches in your ear as a player, which might pick up on something new that helps you," Jonassen said.

The Dane explained that the shift is part of a broader effort to create continuity from junior level through to the senior national squad, an area he identified as a long-standing weakness.

"Over the last 12 months, I've been looking at our coaching structure and trying to come up with the best solution to have enough coaches who actually follow the players' pathway and development," he said.

To support the rotation system, BAM are close to finalising appointments for two additional coaches, with a third still under consideration, covering men's and women's singles from junior to senior level.

Jonassen said the most critical phase targeted by the new structure is the transition period between the ages of 19 and 22, which he described as the toughest stage in a player's career.

"That three- to four-year span is where most players in the world get stuck," he said.

"That's where we need a lot of energy and experienced coaches to support the players."

Experience, rather than age, will be the key criterion in selecting the new coaches, with Jonassen stressing the importance of proven track records in developing players at international level.

The appointments will include a mix of local and foreign coaches, reflecting BAM's openness to external expertise during what Jonassen described as a transition phase.

The coaching additions are part of a wider national team overhaul, with BAM planning to recruit five or six coaches across senior and junior levels to support coaching directors Rexy Mainaky and Jonassen.

BAM performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei said most of the new appointments are expected to be local, with foreign options considered only if suitable Malaysians cannot be identified.

He stressed that no existing coaches will be dropped, adding that the revamp is aimed at strengthening, not replacing, the current set-up.

Jonassen thanked BAM for backing the proposed structure and made it clear that clearer roles would come with higher expectations.

"Now it's for us, the coaches, together with the players, to get the most out of it," he added.

"No excuses."