Hendrawan keeps mum on badminton men's singles situation

National men's singles coach Hendrawan refused to give the press any updates on the men’s singles department during Tuesday’s training session.

The Indonesian took over as chief men's singles coach from Misbun Sidek earlier this month.

"Nanti saya cakap terlalu banyak (I might speak too much)," retorted the former world champion when pressed on the developments of his players before walking away.

His tight-lipped demeanor may not be ideal at the moment, given what a big year this is for the Malaysian men’s singles players.

Lee Zii Jia is preparing for a crunch All-England Championships opening match against Jonatan Christie as he seeks to secure a spot at the Tokyo Olympics.

Fans are also keen to find out the plans for Cheam June Wei, especially after his excellent performance at the recent Asia Team Championships.

On top of that, there is also the Thomas Cup looming in May.

Coaching director Wong Choong Hann later assumed the responsibility of speaking to the press on behalf of Hendrawan.

Wong was especially pleased with Cheam’s progress after the world number 72 overcame the likes of Son Wan-ho and Kenta Nishimoto at the Asia Team Championships.

"We are happy he is working to get to the level of the first tier. This is the way forward and the coaches are doing their best to shape him.

"At this point, it is about fine tuning the training analysis and fixing the small details to up his efficiency.

"He is a smaller engine shuttler, so we need to beef up his strength. The big boys have huge intensity, so he needs to try and match that.

"He can admit the gaps to the top players and that is step one of progress. I think the field is wide enough for anyone who works hard to shine," said Wong.