SINGAPORE: Having competed at the highest level of the sport, former Singapore badminton star Ronald Susilo knows talent when he sees it.
And there is no shortage of it at the primary school level today, said Susilo, who is Raffles Institution’s head coach and also runs his own academy.
But the issue is that most leave the sport, added the 45-year-old, who competed at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, reaching the men’s singles quarter-finals in Athens.
“I’ve seen a lot of talents at the youth level, especially at the primary (level). It’s comparable to other countries,” he said.
“At the primary (school) level, maybe the studies are not as intensive and they are more willing to commit to training … But when it comes to (the) secondary (school level), I’ll see a lot of (people) drop out (of the system). The standard is stagnant and there is no improvement.”
Susilo was speaking to CNA on the sidelines of a “parade of champions” organised by the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA), where five former national champions were recognised for their contributions to the sport.
These individuals were Susilo, Singapore’s only men’s singles SEA Games gold medalist Wong Shoon Keat, seven-time men’s singles national champion Hamid Khan, 2014 Commonwealth Games men’s singles silver medalist Derek Wong and 2022 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles gold medalist Jessica Tan.
While things have improved from his playing days, Susilo said that Singapore still lags behind rival nations in certain areas.
“There are more people playing badminton now,” he explained. “But if you want to compare it to other countries, at the secondary and (junior college) level, we are still far behind.”
As a father himself, Susilo said he understands the concerns that parents have over the “risk” of their children pursuing sport full-time.
“To them, the priority is still academic … If you cannot succeed (at sport), what happens? What are you going to do in Singapore? There is still this (way of) thinking,” said Susilo.
Susilo’s children, a boy and a girl, currently represent their secondary and primary school respectively.
“Children must like the sport. If you don’t like the sport, there’s no point. Badminton is not an easy sport. It’s very taxing and everything. You need to really commit to become good players,” he said.
When asked if he would allow them to be full-time players in the future, Susilo said that he was “open” to it but would need to discuss it with his wife.
“It’s for them to decide (as well). When they grow up, they must have their own thinking about what they want to do,” he explained.
