KUALA LUMPUR – Former world mixed doubles number three shuttler, Chan Peng Soon, aims to turn his CPS Badminton Academy into a platform for former national players interested in giving back to the sport.
Peng Soon, who made history by winning a silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics with Goh Liu Ying, officially retired just last week after a defeat at the Malaysia Masters.
He feels fortunate that his academy, established in 2020, has successfully gathered several former national shuttlers who have competed at the highest levels.
Aside from Peng Soon and his partner, Cheah Yee See, who serves as a coach for the academy, other notable instructors include former women’s doubles player Lee Meng Yean, who competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and was once ranked top 10 in the world.
Additionally, Peng Soon has recruited SEA Games 2021 gold medalist Peck Yen Wei, 2017 World Junior Championships silver medalist Yap Ling, and former men’s doubles player Chang Yee Jun.
For Peng Soon, having former players with significant international achievements not only boosts parents’ confidence in sending their children to train at his academy but also ensures students receive genuine badminton fundamentals.
“I hope that after my friends retire, they have a platform to continue their careers in badminton, and I feel very lucky to have a lineup of coaches who have competed at the highest level. This is what I want.
“Not everyone gets a chance like this, to train with national players at a young age. I want the kids in my academy to train with high-profile coaches because their expertise will benefit these academy students.
“These coaches have been in the badminton world since they were young, so they know what it takes to succeed in this field.
“For me, laying down the basics is super important for nurturing young players, and my academy coaches are all about that,” said the 36-year-old Olympian.
Currently, Peng Soon feels more comfortable being known as the founder and coach of CPS Badminton Academy, which now has four branches – two in Penang (Bukit Mertajam and Butterworth) and two in the Klang Valley (Setapak and Petaling Jaya).
He is planning to expand the number of branches further.
“Moving forward, besides the academy, I am also working on building a badminton hall to facilitate training sessions, namely in Serdang and Rawang.
“So far, I haven’t thought about coaching abroad yet. My focus now is on developing my academy and training new talents here,” Peng Soon added. – May 28, 2024