KUALA LUMPUR: The eagerly anticipated reunion between Lee Zii Jia and his former coach, Hendrawan, will not materialise.
Hendrawan, the former Indonesian world champion, announced on Monday that he has returned to Indonesia to join the coaching team at Djarum Badminton Club (PB Djarum).
"I have made my decision... which is to join PB Djarum to help develop Indonesian badminton," Hendrawan posted on Instagram today.
The announcement follows Hendrawan's departure after an impressive 15-year tenure with the BA of Malaysia (BAM).
He had been heavily tipped as a potential successor to Wong Tat Meng, whose contract with Team LZJ ends this year.
Hendrawan famously guided Zii Jia to his historic All England triumph in 2021.
While Hendrawan is not rejoining Indonesia's national team, his move to PB Djarum marks a significant step in his coaching career.
PB Djarum, based in Central Java, is one of Indonesia's most prestigious badminton training centres.
Established in 1974 and operated by the Djarum Group, it has produced several world-class players, including Olympic champions Alan Budi Kusuma, Sigit Budiarto, Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir.