KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s men’s doubles coach, Tan Bin Shen, is reportedly set to join the Hong Kong national badminton team, reuniting with former Malaysian international Wong Choong Hann.
A highly reliable source revealed to Scoop today that Bin Shen, who has served as a doubles coach with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) since 2020, has received an offer too good to refuse from the Hong Kong national team, which includes a significant increase in salary.
The news emerged shortly after BAM confirmed in a statement that Bin Shen would be leaving the national coaching setup next month.
According to the source, Choong Hann, who was promoted to head coach of the Hong Kong national team in September, played a key role in securing Bin Shen’s move.
“I understand that Bin Shen was offered a more attractive package by Choong Hann to join him in Hong Kong,” said the source.
While details of the offer remain unconfirmed, it is believed that Bin Shen’s new salary could be in the region of RM70,000 per month.
Bin Shen is responsible for leading Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik to multiple achievements, including bronze medals at the delayed 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics, as well as the prestigious World Championships title in 2022.
With his departure imminent, BAM will now face the challenge of finding a suitable replacement for the accomplished coach.
The association has previously shown a willingness to invest heavily in coaching talent, bringing in Denmark’s Kenneth Jonassen as singles head coach and reappointing Rosman Razak as the women’s doubles head coach.
It remains to be seen whether BAM will opt for a local candidate or a foreign coach to fill the void left by Bin Shen’s departure. — December 20, 2024