TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian badminton coach and Olympic silver medalist, Nova Widianto, has signed a two-year contract to become the mixed doubles coach in Malaysia starting in early 2023. The former player's decision was announced by the Badminton Association of Malaysia or BAM on Wednesday, 21 December.

"The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) today announced Nova, 45-year, has signed a 2-year contract with the national body to take charge of the mixed doubles. He will be reporting to Doubles Director of Coaching, Rexy Mainaky," the statement read as posted on the BAM's Instagram account.

Meanwhile, the Badminton Association of Indonesia, or PBSI received Nova's resignation letter from his position as a mixed doubles coach. PBSI's head of development and achievement division, Riony Mainaky, said the letter was signed on December 1, 2022. It was given to core administrators on December 15 and was forwarded to the PBSI chairman, Agung Firman Sampurna.

To date, he said, the PBSI is still waiting for instructions from federation leaders. Even so, he stressed that PBSI could not prevent his departure.

"Nova's decision to resign from Pelatnas PBSI is a coach's right. PBSI certainly cannot say no,” Rionny said as quoted from a PBSI release.

Nova is one of the Indonesian mixed doubles players with illustrious achievements. He won a silver medal for mixed doubles with Liliyana Natsir at the Beijing Olympics. The pair also won two world championships in 2005 and 2007 and was the world number one on September 18, 2010.

In 2013, Nova decided to retire as a player and started his career as a coach by becoming an assistant.

Rexy Mainaky Welcomes Nova

Rexy Mainaki, another former Indonesian player who had also become a coach for Malaysia, welcomes Nova's decision. Rexy, an Olympic gold medalist who is now BAM's doubles director of coaching, said that he hopes to cooperate with Nova.

Muhammad Nurhendra Saputra

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