KUALA LUMPUR: A job advertisement on Badminton Europe's website was all it took to convince national men's singles coach James Chua that it was time to leave the BA of Malaysia (BAM).
James, who joined BAM as the women's singles coach in 2022 before switching to the men's singles team a year later, tendered his resignation on Sept 21.
The Sarawak-born coach will start his new role as the Czech Republic BA's national chief coach on Oct 1.
Whether his departure will be a blow to Malaysian badminton remains to be seen.
The 2002 Malaysia Open champion is known for his strict coaching philosophy, which he models after his mentor Li Mao, who coached former world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei from 2005 to 2009.
When contacted by Timesport, the 45-year-old did not elaborate on the reasons behind his resignation.
However, James may have felt uncertain about his position, given BAM's ongoing search for new men's singles coaches.
James confirmed he has signed a two-year contract with the Czech Republic BA.
"I saw the job posting on Badminton Europe recently but hesitated to apply until a friend in the Netherlands encouraged me," said James."
"Although I've worked in Germany before, this stint in the Czech Republic is new for me as I'll be the head coach.
"The Czech Republic have some quality players, including Olympians, and they're keen to develop badminton further in the country. This is a big challenge for me.
"I wish BAM the best of luck and hope they continue to improve. My focus now is on contributing to the development of the sport in the Czech Republic."
The Czech Republic's most prominent player is men's singles world No. 59, Jan Louda, who competed at the Paris Olympics this year.
Others include women's singles player Tereza Svabikova (ranked No. 69) and men's doubles pair Ondrej Kral-Adam Mendrek (ranked No. 46), who also featured in Paris.
James left for Singapore today for a short break and will head to Prague on Oct 1 to begin his European adventure.