Zulkifli’s passion-fuelled patriotism

CHERAS: The thought of packing up and returning to the US did cross his mind. However, Zulkifli Sidek is very much a Malaysian at heart.

"I would be lying if I said I didn’t think of returning to the US. Things were good there. But I am a Malaysian and I want my son to represent Malaysia," said Zulkifli.

The US Badminton Association were keen on having Zulkifli’s eldest son Zulfadli in their Thomas Cup team.

"In fact, we just returned from the US earlier this month and several senior officials there asked us to reconsider our decision to play for the US," admitted Zulkifli. "Zulfadli wants to play for Malaysia and I’m happy with his decision."

Despite having won the Asian Junior, World Junior and Youth Commonwealth Games titles last year, Zulfadli was not listed in Malaysia’s Thomas Cup squad and did not make the cut for the reserve team. For the record, Zulfadli plays for KLRC and was never part of BAM’s programme.

However, BAM have offered financial assistance and support to Zulfadli in his quest to become a better player.

The red tape and politics have constantly left Zulfadli on the sidelines but this has not dampened the youngster’s appetite to represent the nation.

Zulkifli insists he is still the best person to coach his son. "Why fix something which is not broken?" Zulkifli asked.

"I’ve trained him all this while and he has created history. I coached the US national team and served the National Sports Council (NSC). I know what’s best for my son."

Zulkifli said he draws a clear line between being a father and a coach.

"I know when to be a dad and when to be a coach. There is no conflict of interest or favouritism and it is through such strict training regimes that my son was able to win those titles."

Zulkifli was pursuing a degree in marketing and business at California State University while actively playing in several local tournaments.

"I won the Miami Open in 1988 and was spotted by several people from the US BA. They offered me a job to coach the US team between 1990-1993."

He then returned to Malaysia and started to coach Zulfadli and his younger sons Zulfaiz and Zulhelmi, with the aspiration of turning them into national players one day.

His diligence paid off but it has been a roller-coaster journey for him and the family.

Zulkifli was offered a job as a CEO of a company with a five figure salary but he turned it down due to his passion for badminton.

Some may call him silly, but Zulkifli knows where his priorities lie — to mould talents and ensure his son Zulfadli continues to make waves in the scene.

"The money was really good but I love badminton," confessed Zulkifli.

"Some even asked me to apply for the high performance director’s post with BAM but I laughed it off."

Zulkifli thanked the NSC, the National Sports Institute (NSI), KLRC and BAM for their support and believes Zulfadli has more to offer.

"This is only the beginning. I would like to see him become the next big thing in Malaysian sports."

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