Source: Oriental Image/Jiang Xu
[Saba Sports News] The President of the Malaysian Badminton Association, Dato’ Subramaniam, announced a new coaching structure after chairing a council meeting. The position of head coach is now split into two roles. The former head coach, Rexy Mainaky, will serve as the Doubles Coach Director, focusing on the doubles department, while Kenneth Jonassen, who took over as the Singles Head Coach earlier this year, will have his title changed to Singles Coach Director. Both coaches will oversee the youth and adult teams. Subramaniam explained that previously, Mainaky had to manage three areas: men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, which placed immense pressure on him. This adjustment will alleviate Mainaky’s workload, allowing him to concentrate on doubles, where he is an expert. Both Mainaky and Jonassen are experts in their respective fields, and the association trusts Jonassen to manage the singles team effectively. Notably, this is the second time the Malaysian national badminton team has entered an era with dual coach directors; the last time was in 2022 when Wong Choong Hann was “demoted” to Singles Coach Director while Mainaky took on the Doubles Coach Director role.