Jakarta (ANTARA) – National badminton player Ihsan Maulana Mustofa admitted that he was satisfied with the job of coaching the tepok bulu sport that he had worked for about a year at a club in Canada.
According to the former PBSI National Training Athlete, he gained many new experiences that he never had as a badminton player until now.
“Initially, I was offered to go there (to Canada), even though I already had a club here. But in the end, I wanted to find out what it was like to experience training in another country. It was quite fun, I felt at home there,” Ihsan said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
While abroad, Ihsan discovered a new perspective on the world of badminton, particularly the culture of the sport.
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According to Ihsan, Indonesians have the convenience of playing badminton because there are many courts, equipment and supplies available which are sold at very affordable prices.
Meanwhile, the conditions for playing badminton in Canada are not easy to appreciate for all groups, as costs are often the main barrier if one wishes to play the sport.
“The difference here is that badminton is a popular sport. But in Canada, maybe only some people are financially well off. There, renting a court is very expensive. For those who have (money ), it’s not a problem, but it’s a shame for those who have middle to middle class economic conditions at the bottom,” Ihsan said.
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However, Ihsan has now returned to Indonesia due to family reasons and most recently he is still going to the competition scene to defend his club, namely PB Djarum Kudus, in the 2022 national championship which will be held from 11th to December 17 at PBSI. Cipayung National Training Center.
Regarding plans for 2023, Ihsan admitted that he had not yet thought about concrete measures but confirmed that he would not hang up his racket although he admitted that it would be difficult to return to full competition .
“We don’t know next year, but playing again won’t be easy either. I want to take it step by step first and also focus on training,” Ihsan concluded.
Also read: Ihsan and Tommy stopped in the first round of the Malaysian Open
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