KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran coaches Tey Seu Bock and Hoon Thien How's re-designation to the junior set-up should not be viewed as a demotion, but a way to improve the quality of shuttlers headed for the national senior squad.
National coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the reason for appointing Seu Bock and Thien How as the boys' singles and doubles coaches respectively were to "genuinely" raise the quality of Malaysian junior shuttlers.
Seu Bock, who had worked under top coaches Misbun Sidek, Rashid Sidek and Hendrawan, also has the experience of guiding Lee Chong Wei.
The departures of Hendrawan, who was with BAM for 15 years and James Chua, left Seu Bock as the only survivor in the senior men's singles department. But the national body re-designated him as the boys junior singles head coach this month.
Thien How, who has guided women's doubles players, particularly Paris Olympics semi-finalists Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, has now been tasked by BAM to work as Pang Cheh Chang's assistant to develop future world junior champions.
"While we talk about elite performance, we often forget that the development level must also be given equal emphasis to ensure we have a solid base with quality junior shuttlers," said Rexy.
"Sometimes, we are overjoyed with the success of our senior players and pairs that we forget to beef up junior development until it becomes a time-bomb. Suddenly, we realise there is no quality talent to move up the ranks.
"Seu Bock had guided Chong Wei while Thien How had also achieved success with Pearly-Thinaah and their experience will be invaluable to guide the juniors.
"With the wealth of experience that they have, I believe we can have more quality juniors coming up the ranks in future."
Malaysia's failure to win a world junior crown since Goh Jin Wei's victory in the girls' singles in 2018 is an alarming fact that BAM may have to shift their focus more on development.
Zulfadli Zulkifli was the last player to win the boys' singles title at the World Juniors in 2011.
Malaysia, who have won seven boys' doubles titles at the world juniors, have not been successful since Nelson Heg-Teo Ee Yi's victory in 2010.
BAM could be looking at Seu Bock and Thien How to turn things around in the junior squad.