KUALA LUMPUR – Former national women’s doubles player Woon Khe Wei had to turn down an offer to become a coach in badminton powerhouse China due to family commitments.
Speaking at the grand launch of the Tiga Saga Li-Ning Cup in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Khe Wei revealed that the offer came from a club in China.
However, she had to decline the offer as she had just welcomed a newborn into her family and had recently finished her confinement period.
Currently, her focus is on managing the Medalist Sport Academy based in Subang Jaya.
“At the moment, I don’t have plans to become a coach abroad because I’ve just given birth to my child, so I’m still learning to be a mother, step by step. My child is now 7-months-old, and I’ve just returned to the field to resume coaching,” Khe Wei told Scoop.
“Yesterday, a club from China asked if I was interested in coaching there. They had asked before, but this time I’m still not ready due to commitments to my family, especially in raising my child.”
However, the former world number nine is not ruling out the possibility of coaching abroad in the future.
“The club asked if maybe in the future, I could go there during the summer break to coach their players. I think, why not?
“Perhaps I could teach there while taking my family for a vacation if the period isn’t long, and at the same time, observe how they conduct training sessions and bring those concepts back to Malaysia.
“But I have to wait for my child to grow up a bit more, and then I may reconsider that offer,” she added.
During her time as a player alongside Vivian Hoo, this pair became one of the world’s top women’s doubles teams, winning the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and silver at the 2010 Asian Championships.
Khe Wei was forced to retire in 2018 after struggling with several recurring knee injuries. – June 29, 2024