KUALA LUMPUR – Former national men’s singles coach Hendrawan is unlikely to join Singapore, despite rumours linking the Indonesian-born coach to the role.
Speaking to Scoop, Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) junior programme director Joanne Quay acknowledged the speculation but clarified that there has been no official word from the organisation.
“I’m not sure about Hendrawan’s recruitment and can’t confirm it. I’ve just noticed the rumours about him joining SBA. Usually, if it’s confirmed, SBA would announce it as they did with Kim Ji-hyun’s appointment,” Joanne said briefly when contacted today.
A few days ago, SBA announced the appointment of former India and Thailand coach Ji-hyun as part of Singapore’s national badminton coaching lineup to strengthen their women’s singles squad.
Meanwhile, men’s singles coach Kelvin Ho has been promoted to head coach, tasked with grooming the next generation of badminton stars after playing a pivotal role in Loh Kean Yew’s world championship triumph.
An internal source, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that despite openings within SBA, Hendrawan has returned to Indonesia and is currently coaching at one of the country’s top badminton clubs.
Hendrawan, a former 2001 world champion, has been one of the longest-serving coaches with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), having joined in 2009.
He was instrumental in guiding badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei through two Olympic campaigns, resulting in silver medals at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Games.
However, with BAM now undergoing restructuring, Hendrawan’s tenure was not extended, marking the end of his 15-year service.
Scoop also reached out to Hendrawan directly for confirmation about his next career move, but as of the time of writing, the 52-year-old coach has yet to respond. – November 28, 2024