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Mulyo Handoyo to return as Singapore badminton’s chief coach

SINGAPORE — The local badminton fraternity will see a familiar face return to its national set-up, with ex-national coach Mulyo Handoyo set to join the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) as its new chief coach in February.

Mulyo Handoyo’s first assignment as the national chief badminton coach will be the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in April, before the team travels to Indonesia for the Asian Games five months later. Photo: Badminton World Federation

Mulyo Handoyo’s first assignment as the national chief badminton coach will be the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in April, before the team travels to Indonesia for the Asian Games five months later. Photo: Badminton World Federation

SINGAPORE — The local badminton fraternity will see a familiar face return to its national set-up, with ex-national coach Mulyo Handoyo set to join the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) as its new chief coach in February.

Mulyo confirmed to TODAY that he will be rejoining the SBA, but declined to say more until his official appointment.

When contacted, the national sports association would only say on Tuesday (Jan 2) that Mulyo is “one of the candidates” for the position.

Mulyo, 57, had previously worked with the Indonesian badminton team, where he guided superstar shuttler Taufik Hidayat to the men’s singles gold at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

While Mulyo had signed a three-year contract (2017 - 2020) with the Badminton Association of India (BAI), news emerged last week that he was set to leave his post after a brief nine-month stint as its national team coach.

According to media reports, Mulyo’s wife and teenage son had not been able to adjust to life in India, which had resulted in the coach rethinking his career options despite his success with the BAI.

Since joining the Indian national team in early 2017, Mulyo had made significant progress with the Indian men’s singles players, particularly its top shuttler Kidambi Srikanth. The 24-year-old claimed four SuperSeries titles last year to reach a career-high of world No 2, with a 22-20, 21-16 victory over China’s Olympic champion Chen Long one of his biggest achievements on the world badminton tour.

Mulyo will take over the post left vacant by former national player Chua Yong Joo, who left the association a month after the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur last August.

Mulyo, 57, had previously worked with Singapore’s top singles players, including former world No 6 Ronald Susilo, and 2007 SEA Games silver medallist Kendrick Lee.

His first assignment with the national team will be the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in April, before the team travels to Indonesia for the Asian Games five months later.

Susilo, who worked with Mulyo during his first stint here from 2001 to 2004, believes that his former coach’s work ethic and focus on discipline will be a huge boost to the national team.

“This is good news for the players from SBA as they need a respectable, experienced and strict coach,” said Susilo.

“He was quite a strict coach on court, and he knows how to help players with their weaknesses.”

Hit by a spate of player retirements in recent years, the national badminton team has struggled on the regional and international stage, with its men’s and women’s team winning just two bronze medals at last August’s SEA Games.

Susilo is hopeful that Mulyo will be able to turn things around for the Republic.

“Hopefully, with his training system, it will improve the players’ level of play and bring up the standard…bring up the discipline as that’s the more important thing,” he said.

“Players will then be fitter and mentally stronger, and they will be able to break through at the world level.”

Local coaches will also be able to learn from an experienced veteran like Mulyo, said former national player Derek Wong.

“It will be good for the local coaches to learn from him and eventually take up the role as head coach,” said Wong, who won the men’s singles silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

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