KUALA LUMPUR: China’s Li Yongbo is famous for producing world badminton champions and Olympic gold medallists. Now, he has a new passion - durian.
The former head coach of China, who was linked to a new coaching role with BAM, was seen in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday. However, his presence here has nothing to do with badminton, he is in Malaysia to explore the lucrative durian business, specifically ‘Musang King’.
The Nanyang Siang Pau reported that Yongbo’s friend, who has invested in a durian farm in Kelantan, introduced him to the ‘Musang King’ durian business.
Yongbo, 56, has also been appointed as a consultant for business between China and Malaysia.
“I never thought I would end up setting up a durian farm in the middle of the jungle, but from what I can see, it is all well-planned, arranged and systematic.
“It is also equipped with a closed circuit camera monitoring system which is a surprise,” said Yongbo who is impressed with the durian industry in Malaysia.
According to Yongbo, he sees a lot of potential in the durian business, and the global market prospects for the ‘King of fruits’ is appealing, especially for ‘Musang King’.