Sidek Dynasty: A New Hope For Malaysia’s Badminton Resurgence?
Sports observer Zakaria Rahim calls for the leadership of BAM to be entrusted to the expert hands of the Sidek family to revive the nation’s past badminton glory.
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Zakaria Rahim, a national sports observer, has voiced his opinion that the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should be led by individuals with expertise, such as the Sidek family, to restore the sport’s former glory.
He suggests that Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek, President of Nusa Mahsuri, is the right person to become President of BAM and that Datuk Misbun Sidek should be appointed as the coaching director of the national badminton governing body.
Nusa Mahsuri is Malaysia’s first professional badminton club, led by the Sidek family.
Zakaria points out that there is nothing wrong with siblings or family members running a national organization if they have a good track record and are respected and esteemed in Malaysia and worldwide.
He recalls how the Sidek family brought back the lustre to Malaysian badminton after a decade of dim performance when Datuk Razif Sidek and Jalani Sidek won the All England in 1982, 10 years after Malaysia’s last win in 1971.
The Sidek family also played a pivotal role in bringing home the Thomas Cup in 1992 when Datuk Rashid Sidek, Razif, Jalani, and Rahman Sidek, together with Foo Kok Keong, Cheah Soon Kit, and Soo Beng Kiang, defeated Indonesia 3-2 in Kuala Lumpur.
Misbun, who returned to BAM for a second term in 2017, was dismissed by the national body in 2023 after the poor performance of the national junior squad at the Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta.
He was then given another offer by BAM, which he turned down.
The most recent report suggests that Thailand may employ him.
Misbun Sidek Offers Insight Into Rejecting BAM's Offerhttps://t.co/snoTj2LLRY#Badminton #BadmintonNews #Malaysia🇲🇾
— BamintonPlanet.com (@badmintonplanet) August 20, 2023
Reviving Malaysia’s Badminton Legacy: The Sidek Family’s Call to Leadership
Zakaria also hails Misbun as the only Malaysian player to reach the finals of the World Badminton Cup in Kuala Lumpur against Liem Swie King and as the first Malaysian to advance to the All-England finals after a 12-year drought.
He emphasizes Misbun’s deep-rooted badminton lineage and his successful coaching career post-retirement, notably producing former world number-one player Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who won the All-England three times and reached the finals five times.
The call for the Sidek family’s involvement in BAM leadership is a nod to their historical contributions and a belief in their ability to revive Malaysia’s badminton success.
It’s a proposition that carries weight, considering the Sidek family’s deep ties and significant impact on the sport in Malaysia.
Prestasi pemain Malaysia dalam Malaysia Open 2024 mengecewakan. Tahun ke 6 kita tiada wakil di final, apa lagi jadi juara di bumi sendiri. Rombakan perlu berlaku dalam BAM & staff kejurulatihan. Tak mampu lahirkan penganti LCW. Panggil semula Misbun Sidek.
— IkhwanSyahmi (@IkhwanSyahmi296) January 13, 2024
Zakaria’s comments also highlight a desire within the Malaysian badminton community for experienced and passionate leadership to steer the national body towards greatness once again.
Some badminton enthusiasts support this, stating that the stagnation has persisted for too long, and BAM requires a complete overhaul.
They mentioned that the burden should not be entirely on the players, especially after Chong Wei criticized them for going on holiday before the Malaysia Open.
Semua benda salah players, tak pernah salahkan bam. Now let me say it, dlcw tanya kan kenapa players tak training when cuti? Now go and ask that same question to bam, ask them why they didn't make any training camps for the athletes instead of semua benda nak salahkan athletes
— chiasoh view faves 🤍 (@Min_Badminton) January 14, 2024
Malaysian badminton fans have expressed criticism following the poor performance of the players at the Malaysia Open 2024.
Chong Wei was the last Malaysian player to win it in 2018, while the last doubles winner was Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah in 2014.
The poor performance at the Malaysia Open 2024 was significant enough that national badminton director Rexy Mainaky felt the need to apologize to fans and sponsors.
READ MORE: National Badminton Director Rexy Mainaky Apologizes For Failure In Malaysia Open
READ MORE: Lee Chong Wei Criticizes Local Players For Holidaying Ahead of Malaysia Open
Prize Money and Sponsors at Malaysia Open 2024
The Malaysia Open 2024, part of the Super 1000 series, had a total prize money of USD 1,300,000 (RM 6,040,840).
The winners of the men’s and women’s singles categories received USD 91,000 and 12,700 Badminton World Federation (BWF) points, while the runners-up received USD 44,200 and 10,800 BWF points.
🇨🇳 Liang/Wang will be closer to join the 100k++ club by winning the Malaysia Open S1000 this week. 🇲🇾 Man/Tee will reach new career-high ranking as 🇮🇩 Kusumawardana/Rambitan didn't defend their Malaysia Open points. Congrats!#BWFRankingWatch #BadmintonEropa pic.twitter.com/SHtbfiBS7Q
— Badminton Eropa (@badmintoneropa) January 14, 2024
The semi-finalists in both categories received USD 18,200; the quarter-finalists received USD 7,150 for singles and USD 8,125 for doubles.
The tournament, held at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil, is sponsored by PETRONAS, Yonex, HSBC, 100 Plus, Haeir and Sunrise.
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