Hendrawan believes that staying together is the best way to know the players
News 2:01 PM
KUALA LUMPUR: Staying together with the players is the best way to get to know them better.
And for this reason, Malaysia’s newly-appointed singles coach Hendrawan checked into one of the rooms in the Rakan Muda Sports Complex in Bukit Kiara yesterday. The complex houses senior and junior players in the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) set-up.
The Indonesian said that good rapport with the players was the first step in winning their hearts to get them to strive for excellence in the sport.
Room for improvement: Malaysia’s new singles coach Hendrawan checking into his room at the hostel in Mount Kiara Monday. — MOHD SAHAR MISNI / The Star
“I will know the players better by staying with them and spending more time with them. I can establish a good relationship with them and also keep an eye on them,” said the 37-year-old Hendrawan.
“Besides, my family is not with me here at the moment and for the time being, this is the best arrangement.”
Hendrawan flew in yesterday without fanfare and the modest former world champion was all excited over reporting for duty with the team tomorrow.
National chief coach Rashid Sidek said on Sunday that for a start, Hendrawan would take charge of the elite back-up singles shuttlers, among them Tan Chun Seang, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif, Chong Wei Feng and Liew Daren.
“I am looking forward to coaching these back-up players. I am here with good intentions and I want to help raise their standard,” said Hendrawan.
“There is a difference in coaching the seniors and juniors. It will take a little more time to see results among the juniors and I hope that I will be given time.”
He reiterated that he would want the players to have dreams and to set targets.
“They will have to set their own goals and be motivated to achieve them. I can help them to build this up as I have do so with the Indonesian women’s singles players,” said Hendrawan.
The BAM general manager, Kenny Goh, said that a meeting between all the singles coaches would be held today to redefine their roles.
“It will be best for the coaches to sit down together and decide on who and how they want to go about coaching the players,” he said.
Besides Rashid, the others expected to attend the meeting are Misbun Sidek and Teh Seu Bock.
A decision on whether Hendrawan takes charge of two senior players as well, Mohd Hafiz Hashim and Kuan Beng Hong, will also be decided today.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 2:01 PM.
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