KUALA LUMPUR: The BA of Malaysia (BAM) are expected to save on a huge sum of money following Morten Frost's resignation last week.
It is learnt the former technical director - who was hired by the Sports Ministry in 2015 - raked in an estimated US$20,000 (approximately RM84,000) a month.
For some, the cash is seen as an additional boost which can used for grassroots development.
According to former BAM coach Rashid Sidek, high earning individuals may not necessarily deliver results, as proven by the Indonesian BA (PBSI).
Rashid, who left the national fold when Frost arrived for the second time (following an earlier stint in the late 1990s), said PBSI have managed to produce world and Olympic champions despite minimum spending, by choosing to hire local coaches.
"Now that Frost is gone, BAM can use the additional funds to beef up development programmes at the grassroots level. For at least a year, the money can be used to run youth tournaments.
"Just look at Indonesia, they have proven that it not necessary for an association to spend so much on an individual for results. All their coaches are locals.
"Indonesia are not known to pay their coaches highly, but they still come up with world and Olympic champions," said Rashid when contacted on Wednesday.
On Monday, BAM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria confirmed that Frost had tendered his resignation last week, citing personal reasons.
Following Frost's decision to quit, all five head coaches - Misbun Sidek (men's singles), Cheah Soon Kit (men's doubles), Tey Seu Bock (women's singles), Wong Pei Tty (women's doubles and Chin Eei Hui (mixed doubles) - will now report directly to the C&T committee.
Rashid, a bronze medallist at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, believes the head coaches are all capable of playing much bigger roles under the national body.
"All of them are qualified coaches with vast experience. I believe they know what to do. Personally, I don't see Frost's leaving as a loss at all."
Translated from Berita Harian