The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) could be set to appoint another foreign coach as part of its ongoing coaching restructuring, with Indonesian men’s singles assistant coach Harry Hartono among the names being linked.
When contacted, BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh did not confirm any specific candidates but did not dismiss the possibility of an Indonesian coach being shortlisted.
“There are candidates from Indonesia, there are candidates from Thailand. We will wait for the official announcement in a week or two,” said Kenny.
He added that any new coaching appointments would also support BAM’s renewed emphasis on player development, particularly at junior level.
“At the recent BAM council meeting, the president stressed that BAM need to focus on development. The performance committee have also submitted their plans.
“When we focus on development, we will bring more players into our academies. This will naturally require additional coaches, and we are currently identifying them,” he said.
Harry recently returned to the Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) as an assistant coach for the men’s singles squad, replacing Marleve Mainaky. Despite holding an assistant role, he has played an important part alongside Irwansyah in guiding top Indonesian players such as Anthony Ginting and Jonathan Christie.
Should BAM secure his services, Harry would join the existing Indonesian coaching lineup in Malaysia, which includes Rexy Mainaky, Herry Iman Pierngadi, Muhammad Miftakh, and Nova Widianto.
Previously, local coaches Yeoh Kay Bin and Mohd Zakry Latif were also linked to BAM’s new coaching structure.
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