DISAPPOINTED: Yong Sung clears the air regarding his resignation from BAM
HIS salary has never been an issue with Yoo Yong Sung but he slammed the BA of Malaysia (BAM) for using it as the reason the South Korean resigned as the national men's doubles coach two weeks ago.
Yong Sung was hand-picked by men's doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her to help check the slide of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boo Heong but the former claimed he had not been allowed to work with the top pair over the last six months.
His job, claimed Yong Sung, only lasted three days where he assisted Kien Keat-Boon Heong for about 10 minutes during their warm-up sessions and was then only required to monitor their progress.
Yong Sung was frustrated that he never had a group of players to guide and was only utilised about 20 minutes two to three days a week to spar with the other pairs.
The number of pairs and groups will keep changing on a daily basis despite the fact BAM and Kim Her had stated his expertise would be utilised to not only assist Kien Keat-Boon Heong but also other back-up pairs.
Yong Sung said he had repeatedly requested Kim Her to give him a set of players to work with on a regular basis and also met with BAM secretary Ng Chin Chai and general manager Kenny Goh in March to discuss the issue. They initially agreed to his suggestion.
But things remained the same and after his second meeting where his wife Sung Eun Young accompanied him, the two-time Olympic silver medallist called it quits.
"Salary was never an issue in the first place. This is the first time I have accepted a coaching offer in a foreign country and I wanted the chance to work with a set of players so that I could help them progress. The BAM management didn't agree with it so I quit," said Yong Sung through an interpreter in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
"I feel it was not right for BAM to highlight that I asked for an increase in salary and not explain the entire issue. I never asked US$10,000 (RM30,000), as was reported in the media and during our meeting (on April 26) with Chin Chai and Kenny, I had already told them I was quitting before they could even discuss about my salary.
"I am a two-time Olympic medallist and have won so many international honours and I feel my pride has been battered. Even until today, I don't know why BAM hired me or what future plans it had for me.
"It was so frustrating being given 20 minutes, two or three days a week, to train at times about eight pairs. The players would keep changing every day.
"I raised this with Kim Her almost daily and requested a few select players to work with but he didn't do anything. I have completely lost faith in him as he didn't help my cause at all. He had also said that I could not train Kien Keat-Boon Heong even when I was available."
His wife Eun Young said Yong Sung only wanted to have a specific position in the men's doubles squad and never demanded a higher salary.
"I was in the meeting with Chin Chai and Kenny and after a lengthy discussion where his request to train a group of players didn't get any feedback from them, Yong Sung stood up and said he was quitting and walked out of the room," said Eun Young.
"They then asked me if he wanted a salary hike but I was upset as well and said maybe US$10,000, I don't know. My husband was not negotiating for a salary hike but just wanted players to work with.
"We also made a request after that to allow us to stay here until the contract with our house owner expires in October but BAM has cancelled our work permit and visa and we now need to return home at the end of the month."
- Harian Metro
- Berita Harian
- Business Times
- My Gadget Planet
- Travelific
- Harum
- Eats
- Properties
- News Image Bank (NIB)
- New Economic Model
- NST Reviews
- NiEXUS
- Friends of Travel Times
- Property News
- NSTLIVE Archive
- Spell-It-Right