PSC rues abrupt departure of top Indonesian coach

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia lamented yesterday the abrupt departure for home of Indonesian badminton coach Rexy Mainaky, saying it could have been prevented if the multimillion-peso deal was done through the agency.

Garcia, who just came from Spain, Brazil and Argentina to work out coaching exchanges with those countries, said the current pool of badminton players are doing very well under the Indonesian coach.

“We are not a party to the contract but I am sure there must be a reason for his sudden departure,” said Garcia.
“But knowing the officers of the Philippine Badminton Association they will get another good coach if not better.”

The PBA, through chair Manny V. Pangilinan and Negros Occidental Rep. Albee Benitez, has reportedly agreed with the recall for as long as a replacement, who is just as capable as Mainaky, is named as soon as possible.

Under Mainaky, doubles partners Paul Vibas and Ronel Estanislao improved to 98 this year from as far as 300 in the world rankings last year.

Mainaky, who won the men’s doubles Olympic gold medal in 1996 with Ricky Subagja and an in-demand coach with extensive stints in Malaysia, has been recalled by the Indonesian sports ministry to revive its badminton program.

He will call the shots when Indonesia competes in the Sudirman Cup next week in Kuala Lumpur.

He went on board last year on a $12,000 (about P492,000) monthly pay excluding housing and scholarship for his children in a contract that exceeded previous deals with foreign coaches.

The PSC chair said deals between governments are more binding and should have protected the national sports associations involved.

Still Garcia said it’s a good move by the PBA to let the 45-year-old Mainaky go without creating a strain on the relations of the two countries.
“But it’s a lesson to our future contracts regarding foreign coaches,” he added.

The PSC is currently trying to hire Chinese coaches for table tennis instead of sending the entire team to the mainland which costs more.