I was shortchanged
10 Apr 2020
PETALING
JAYA: Lim Pek Siah (pic)
first won the Commonwealth Games women’s doubles title as a player in 2002 and
then repeated the feat as a coach in 2018.
Her reward? Her contract was not renewed.
Now, as a coach with Singapore Badminton Association, the former
national champion has unleashed an explosive criticism of the Badminton
Association of Malaysia (BAM), accusing them of not caring enough for local
coaches.
Lim Pek Siah has spent more than half of her life in badminton,
from being a national player to independent shuttler and a coach at different
levels, .
And the 40-year-old is hurt.
After five months of working in Singapore, she can see the
difference and feels she was far from appreciated by BAM. In fact, she feels
she was shortchanged.
It was in 2018 that Pek Siah and Wong Pei-Tty led the squad to
huge success.
Under them, Woon Khe Wei-Vivian Hoo remained as the national No.
1 but more than that, many other players rose. Among them were Soong Fie
Cho-Amelia Anscelly, who went on to win the 2015 Singapore SEA Games gold and
2016 Indian Open gold.
The women’s doubles department contributed five titles and three
runners-up finish, with notable ones being the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games
gold (Vivian Hoo-Chow Mei Kuan); Syed Modi Open, India (Mei Kuan-Lee Meng
Yean); and Macau Open (Vivian-Yap Cheng Wen).
At the end of the year, she was asked to leave.
“They could not give me a good answer when I asked why I had to
leave. The bonus promised for meeting the KPI (Key Performance Index) was also
not given, ” she said.
“I felt it was unfair. The salary of the foreign coaches are
three times more than the locals. We work just as hard but we are left out when
we are not needed.”
She hoped they will stop their unfair treatment of local
coaches.
Pek Siah was a women’s doubles coach with BAM from 2015-2018.
She went back to private coaching before being hired by Singapore BA in
November last year, making her the first woman shuttler to take up a top
coaching post outside of Malaysia.
“I’ve been coaching the women’s doubles in Singapore for five
months now. The way they do things here are different but at least, they take
care of their coaches, ” said Pek Siah, who won the Commonwealth Games gold
medal with Ang Li Peng in 2002 in Manchester.
“Their hiring process is professional and they are clear with their
expectations. I am thankful for the opportunity.”
Pek Siah is sore with the way BAM severed ties with her – four
years after former coaching director Morten Frost brought her in to assist Pei
Tty.
“Over the period, there was improvement in the women’s doubles
department. Our department met the KPI with several good results but in 2018,
my contract was not extended, ” said Pek Siah.
“I wanted to pour my disappointment on the social media but I
was advised by my friends not to. I chose to be quiet then.
“I was a pioneer with BAM when they started their first academy
in 1992. I worked hard as a coach but some leaders there don’t even know my
name. It all depends on the leadership, really.”
Besides Pek Siah, there are few other local coaches plying their
trade abroad.
Among others, Tan Kim Her has coached in England, South Korea,
India and Japan, Jeremy Gan is with Japan while Wong Tat Meng is in Scotland.
“Of course, it’s always nice to coach at home but it’s not the
end if we are not needed.
“I would encourage other local coaches to explore and experience
opportunities outside, ” added Pek Siah.
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