Coach Tat Meng leaves BAM to join Indonesian team

KUALA LUMPUR: National singles coach Misbun Sidek quit the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) recently. His controversial resignation has yet to be resolved.

Now another singles coach – Wong Tat Meng – is set to leave.

Tat Meng, who is currently coaching the women’s singles squad, is leaving BAM by the end of next month to take up a coaching offer with the Indonesian national team.

The 44-year-old coach, who was best known for guiding Wong Mew Choo to a sensational victory in the 2007 China Open, will join former national singles coach Li Mao of China at the national training centre in Cipayung there.


Goodbye: Wong Tat Meng has handed in his resignation to BAM.

Tat Meng, who has served as the national team coach since 2006, is now set to become the first Malaysian to coach in Indonesia at the national level and BAM secretary Ng Chin Chai said his resignation should be viewed positively.

“Tat Meng wanted to move to greener pastures and he has submitted his resignation letter.

“Tat Meng will be around until end of March and will prepare Mew Choo for the All-England next month.

“It should be looked at positively as he can come back one day and become a better coach as what Tan Kim Her did,” said Chin Chai, referring to Kim Her, who was the first coach to venture outside the country to take up stints in South Korea and England before returning to the BAM fold.

Tat Meng, who quit as a player after failing to make the successful 1992 Thomas Cup squad, got his biggest break as a coach when he was named as the replacement for Li Mao ahead of the more famous Sidek brothers – Misbun and Rashid after the Chinese quit in early 2007.

It has not been decided yet as to who will replace Tat Meng as Chin Chai said they will keep their options open.

“We may have a reshuffle or we may look for a new coach outside,” said Chin Chai, who is also the coaching and training committee chairman.

The coaching and training committee meeting yesterday also decided that Lee Chong Wei and Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will be exempted from the Indonesia SEA Games campaign at the end of this year.

“The Road to London Olympics campaign should be their main priority as Chong Wei and Kien Keat-Boon Heong should have no problems qualifying.

“We will also decide later whether the women’s doubles pair Chin Eei Hui-Wong Pei Tty will be exempted as well as much will depend on whether they have enough points to qualify for the London Olympics. It is easier for the singles players to qualify as it is a field of 32 compared to the doubles, which has only for 16 pairs,” he said.

Meanwhile, former national doubles pair Gan Teik Chai-Tan Bin Shen will be allowed to train with the national doubles squad in BAM twice a week.

Chin Chai said they have also agreed to take in part-time paid sparring partners.

“The women’s squad complained of lack of competitive sparring partners.

“The mix doubles department have also requested for Razif Latif-Chow Pak Chuu to come in as sparring partners.”