Kim Hock willing to hit the road to find new talent

UALA LUMPUR: National junior badminton coach Yap Kim Hock is willing to travel to all the states to scout for new talent.
He said yesterday that the states would also have to do their part in combating the lack of talent coming through.
From next year, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) are giving additional fund to all the states to be more active in promoting the sport at the grassroots level.
Kim Hock, who is currently the doubles coach at the Bukit Jalil Sports School (BJSS), said that every sector should work hand-in-hand.
“I am ready to go to the states if the BAM want me to look into their junior programmes. It is important for the responsible authority at the lower level to be excited too,” he said.
“We are all aware of the lack of talent making their way up to the elite level.
“If the states can improve on their tasks to supply talent, then the national elite and junior departments can focus on raising the standard of the players with specific programmes and exposure without having to worry on the material.
“It’s all about every sector complementing one another.”
Kim Hock also took his hats off to all the clubs and badminton academies for doing their part to boost interest in the game after playing in an exhibition match with Jeremy Gan during the official opening of the Li Ning PR Shuttle Badminton Courts in Balakong yesterday.
The 24 rubberised courts, owned by Sean Sum, serve as one of the platforms for the Looi Badminton Academy’s first computerised badminton training programme.
They also rent out the courts to the New Vision Academy, owned by former internationals Yeoh Kay Bin, K. Yogendran and Lee Tsuen Seng, who work on grooming young badminton enthusiasts.
Kim Hock added that the clubs and academies could also play roles as feeders of talent.
“They (the clubs and academies) are business ventures to make money but they also strike a balance with their genuine interest to promote the sport. They provide a platform for youngsters to learn the basics of the game,” he said.
On the BJSS programme, Kim Hock said that it was on the right track.
“The return of Zhou Kejian (from China) will further strengthen the coaching staff. He will be focusing on training the Form 1 students,” he said.
“Our goal in BJSS is still the same – to churn out Asian and world junior champions. It is important to know the right way of managing these young players because they are bombarded with so many distractions nowadays.”
Since relinquishing his job as the national team chief coach to move to the BJSS, Kim Hock has not failed to deliver world junior champions and he has vowed to maintain this good tradition.
The world junior boys’ doubles champions who have emerged under his wings were Mak Hee Chun-Teo Kok Siang (2008), Ow Yao Han-Chooi Kah Ming (2009) and Yao Han-Yew Hong Kheng (2010).

Posted by Lucas Liau on 10:31 AM. Filed under Latest News . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0