KUALA LUMPUR — Former national men’s singles badminton player, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, is expected to rejoin the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) as part of their coaching team.
A person familiar with the situation confirmed with Scoop that talks between the two sides have concluded positively, and the appointment is now nearing completion.
“Talks have gone well and everything is close to being finalised,” said the individual, speaking on condition of anonymity.
If confirmed, the move would validate Scoop’s initial report back in March that the former Malaysia Masters runner-up was being considered for a return to the national setup.
However, it remains unclear whether Iskandar will take charge of the women’s singles department, a role left vacant following the departure of former head coach Jeffer Rosobin of Indonesia.
Iskandar, who revealed last month that BAM had approached him earlier this year, has been heading Badminton Ireland’s singles programme for the past two years.
BAM singles coaching director, Kenneth Jonassen, had also acknowledged that Iskandar would be a good inclusion for the national coaching setup.
During his time in Ireland, Iskandar guided two players—men’s singles world No. 31 Nhat Nguyen and women’s singles shuttler Rachel Darragh—to qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. — June 19, 2025