Kuala lumpur: After years away from the court, national badminton legend Datuk Cheah Soon Kit is set to make a ‘quiet’ return to coaching, this time in Europe. The former national men’s doubles coach, who last served with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2018, has confirmed that he will be away next week for a one-and-a-half-month coaching stint.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Soon Kit stated, “I haven’t gone out and coached anywhere yet (after 2018). It is just for a short term and friendly invitation. Not for a big team but a badminton club there,” during a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony and the official launch of ‘Sentuhan Wira’, an upcoming movie.

The 1996 Olympic Games silver medallist revealed that his decision to accept the coaching role came after persistent approaches from the club. However, he chose to keep the country where he will continue his coaching journey under wraps.

‘Sentuhan Wira’ is the brainchild of Soon Kit and another national badminton legend, Datuk Rashid Sidek. As advisors to the production, both of them were directly involved in the development of the script and technical research on the matches, ensuring that the spirit and historical accuracy of Malaysia’s 1992 Thomas Cup victory are portrayed authentically and emotionally. The film is expected to begin shooting this November and will be released in cinemas next year.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia chairman Datuk Hans Isaac.