THE BA of Malaysia's (BAM) attempt to hire Morten Frost Hansen as the national director of coaching has been unsuccessful as the Dane's asking price is too steep.
According to sources, Frost had demanded a monthly salary of close to RM100,000, which was twice the amount he received when working in a similar position at BAM between 1997 and 2000.
The newly formed Capabilities, Skills and Research (CSR) committee, at a meeting on Thursday, felt it was simply not possible to employ Frost.
The BAM is now turning its attention to former national singles coach Misbun Sidek after his name was suggested as a potential candidate during the CSR meeting chaired by BAM president Tengku Mahaleel Tengku Ariff with Lee Chong Wei also present as a players' representative.
Misbun left BAM after tendering his resignation on Dec 31, 2010, and he rejected an offer by the association to coach the back-up shuttlers a few months later.
Misbun has since kept a low profile but has been coaching his son, Misbun Ramdan Misbun, who also quit the national team last year.
Misbun's return, should he agree, could also see him rekindling his relationship with Chong Wei which soured when the former quit the national team.
Chong Wei may also reconsider his decision to retire at the end of the year as Misbun was the one who trained him in 2007-2010.
While Misbun's coaching capability is undoubted, it would be a surprise move to get him as the director of coaching as he was reluctant to accept the position when offered in 2005.
Meanwhile, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will still "amazingly survive" as a pair as they continue to have the trust of the committee who is counting on them to deliver in the Thomas Cup finals, Commonwealth and Asian Games this year. Kien Keat-Boon Heong's performance has hit rock bottom for several years and several BAM council members have been pushing for them to be broken up.
