PETALING JAYA: Starting again under a new coach is hard but men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik is taking it in their stride.
The former world champions however, have one wish that the new doubles coach will not just elevate their level further but also continue to develop the youngsters in the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
BAM are currently searching for a men’s doubles head coach to replace the outgoing Tan Bin Shen, who will depart the national body on Jan 13 after five years.A few names have been bandied together as the potential successor such as Mathias Boe of Denmark, and Indonesians Herry Iman Pierngadi and Hendra Setiawan.
BA of Malaysia also have the option of naming a local, which could include Chan Chong Ming, Lim Pek Siah or others with equal calibre.
Bin Shen guided world No. 6 Aaron-Wooi Yik to several stellar achievements including the historic world title in 2022, bronze in the Asian Games last year and Paris Olympics in August.
The 40-year-old also helped young pairs such as Mohd Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian and Yap Roy King-Wan Arif Wan Junaidi reach the world’s top 25.
Haikal-Hon Jian and Roy King-Arif are currently ranked No. 21 and No. 23 in the world respectively.
While sad to see Bin Shen go, Aaron-Wooi Yik hope the new coach will continue his good work.
“We had a lot of memorable moments with Bin Shen including in big tournaments like the World Championships, Asian Games and Thomas Cup,” said Aaron.
“Coaches usually come and go and we have to accept this. We have to respect his decision. We only knew that he was leaving after the World Tour Finals more than a week ago.
“We had discussions with the BAM management on the new coach but at the end of the day, the decision will be theirs. We have no problems working with a local or foreign coach.
“We can’t have a lot of say in this as the coach is not just for us but also all the other pairs in the team.
“We don’t just want a coach, who can help us but also, importantly, develop the youngsters in the team.”
Meanwhile, Wooi Yik credited Bin Shen for the pair’s rise over the past few years.
“He had a big impact on our careers. We had a relationship for about four to five years,” said Wooi Yik.
“We learnt a lot from him. He is the one who helped us to reach a high level.”
While BAM continue looking out for a new coach, Indonesian Miftakh will be guiding the men’s doubles pairs.
The Malaysian Open from Jan 7-12 will be Bin Shen’s last stint with the team.
