Malaysian News--KUALA LUMPUR: The women's singles department is clearly the weakest in BAM, and this means Iskandar Zulkarnian has a very tough task ahead.
Iskandar, who started work as the new national women's singles head coach on Monday, plans to turn things around by making the Malaysian women's shuttlers physically stronger.
While Malaysians have been world beaters in mixed doubles, men's doubles, women's doubles and men's singles in recent years, this is not the case for women's singles shuttlers who stick out like a sore thumb.
National women's players K. Letshanaa (world No. 38), Goh Jin Wei (world No. 56) and Wong Ling Ching (world No. 71) are struggling on the World Tour.
Iskandar, determined to raise the physical levels of his players, said he will draw on his four years of coaching experience with the Irish national team to improve the quality of training for Malaysian shuttlers.
"Yesterday was my first day with the players. I arrived early to observe their condition and schedules," he said after a training session at the Academy Badminton Malaysia today.
"I was impressed by their attitude, especially those preparing for the World Junior Championships next week.
"For the first two weeks, I will monitor the sessions before discussing with (men's singles coaching director) Kenneth Jonassen. In the long run, our focus will be on enhancing tactical skills and consistency on court."
After spending years in Europe, Iskandar noted that training there emphasises intensity, motivation and discipline.
He now hopes to instil those elements in Malaysia to prevent players from becoming jaded.
"I prioritise quality over quantity in training. If both can be balanced, that would be ideal. But I believe the players need more intensive work — heavier and faster sessions in shorter periods, with more sets and repetitions."
On the physical front, Iskandar acknowledged that endurance and speed are vital given the demands of women's singles.
"Physical fitness is important, but what matters more is how our players apply themselves intelligently on court. That's why tactics will also be a short-term focus."
Iskandar, who oversees nine seniors and eight juniors. has also been tasked with preparing the squad for the Thailand SEA Games in December,.
"There's no specific target for now for the SEA Games but the bigger objective is the Uber Cup in Denmark," he said.
As a player, Iskandar was part of the national men's team that won bronze at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and 2016 Thomas Cup. He also finished second at the 2016 Malaysia Masters.
He also won silver in the men's singles and mixed team event at the 2009 World Junior Championships.
During his coaching stint in Ireland, he guided singles players Nhat Nguyen and Rachael Darragh to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics — a milestone for Irish badminton.
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