World number three Lee Chong Wei says he does not see anyone more suitable than Misbun Sidek for the role of Malaysian Men's singles head coach. The reigning All England Champion has also warned junior badminton players to not have a laid-back attitude and prepare themselves to work hard during training under the former Malaysia shuttler, who has been handed a two-year contract.
Misbun had been instrumental in Chong Wei's rise to the top of badminton world during his six-year stint as the Men's singles head coach that began in 2005. However, in 2011 the former Malaysia shuttler quit the job after some misunderstanding with the Badminton Association of Malaysia.
While Chong Wei has been among the top-10 Men's singles shuttlers for a while now, Malaysia have not been able to produce another player of his quality. With the three-time Olympic silver medalist being in the twilight of his career, BAM is in need of improving the quality of their Men's singles unit.
"Misbun left BAM six years ago because of some problems with the association. I tried to bring him back again in 2014 but he was not ready then. I didn't force him," Chong Wei said, as quoted by The Star.
"I tried again this time. I do not see anyone more suitable than Misbun for this job. He has the respect of everyone. It is not an easy post to take up, especially when you look at the current state of our singles players.
"Misbun is like a father to me. We have gone through ups and downs. He understands me the best and I have a lot of respect for him. Malaysia needs him. He has a way of moulding youngsters. We cannot expect immediate results from him but I am confident that there will be good results eventually."
BAM technical director Morten Frost has set a target of winning a gold medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics apart from Thomas Cup glory in 2018 for Malaysia and thus it will be important for the coaches to work well under the German.
Chong Wei recalls how difficult it was to follow a strict training regime, that Misbun had demanded from him during the early stages of his career. He heaped praise on the 57-year-old, who will be assisted by Hendrawan, Indra Wijaya and Sairul Amar Ayob.
"I trained under him as a junior. Believe me, it was tough. He is strict and does not tolerate indiscipline. I was even sent out of the stadium when I was not serious in training. But it is his tough training and dedication as a coach that made me what I am today," Chong Wei added.
