Top Indon coach ends tour of duty with badminton team

MANILA, Philippines - Not even a salary of $12,000 a month could keep Olympic champion Rexy Mainaky as head coach of the Philippine Badminton Association.

The 45-year-old Indonesian, winner of the doubles gold in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and the 1995 World Championships in Lausanne, is fading out of the picture.

As much as he wanted to stay, Mainaky had to return home after the Indonesian Sports Ministry recalled all their top-level badminton coaches working overseas.

An official of the local badminton association yesterday said Mainaky packed his bags last month although he recently visited the country to work on a smooth transition.

A PBA source said another Indonesian coach, of lower caliber and of course for a lower price, is coming in to continue what Mainaky had started.

Mainaky began his coaching stint with the Filipino shuttlers in May last year. In a short time he provided the results with the Filipino players’ marked improvement in the world rankings.

Mainaky signed a two-year contract with the PBA, but had no other choice but to leave and follow the orders of the Indonesian government.

Instead of burning the bridges, the Filipino badminton officials let Mainaky go, free of any legal responsibilities, in a bid to keep a good relationship with their Indon counterparts.

Mainaky is reportedly back coaching the Indonesian team gearing up for the Sudirman Cup, actually the World Team Championship, set May 19-26 in Kuala Lumpur.

“Hopefully I can build a (Philippine) team for the Olympics in 2016. That’s my plan. If in two years I cannot produce then I leave,” said Mainaky after he took over the coaching chores for the Philippines.

That’s not going to happen.