A new chapter for Philippine badminton begins next month, as MIA Sports Center and Malaysia's renowned New Vision Badminton Academy (NVBA) officially join forces to launch the NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy.
The partnership was formalized during a contract signing on Thursday, with MIA Sports Center president Melvin Nubla, NVBA coaching director Karen Au-Mun Yee, and NVBA director Dr. Sugita Kunalan in attendance.
The academy is set to officially launch on August 1, with training sessions beginning on August 3 at MIA Sports Center, located at 2316 MIAA Building B, Aurora Avenue, Tramo, Pasay.
Founded 18 years ago by former Malaysian national players Yogendran Khrishnan, Yeoh Kay Bin, and Manoj Kumar Ramasamy, NVBA has established itself as one of Malaysia's premier badminton academies, producing national team caliber players and also a training ground from other countries such as Indonesia, India, Italy, the U.S., Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico.
Both Khrishnan and Yeoh are currently part of the Malaysian national team's coaching staff.
Malaysian training
Under the agreement, the Philippine academy will operate similarly to NVBA's international branches in Dubai and the Maldives, with its programs directly supervised by the Malaysian headquarters.
Malaysian coaches will lead training sessions while also mentoring and developing Filipino coaches to ensure the academy maintains international standards.
For Nubla, who previously served as the Philippine Badminton Association's head of development, the partnership represents a major step toward making world-class badminton instruction accessible to Filipino athletes.
"The partnership with NVBA allows MIA Sports Center to provide local access to international world-class badminton training, especially for grassroots and elite junior players," Nubla said.
"With NVBA as a global brand, it will further elevate the positioning of MIA as an elite training center, not only in terms of facilities but also in terms of providing high-standard training services."
Beyond developing players, the academy aims to elevate standards of its coaches through continuous education and overseas exposure.
"It is a fact that the Philippines is way behind other Asian countries, and we need to have a long-term sustainable partnership outside in order to elevate the sport of badminton in the Philippines," Nubla said.
Training at the NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy is open to local and international players, with sessions running twice daily from Monday to Saturday. Morning practices are scheduled from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., while afternoon sessions will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Nubla said Malaysian coaches will regularly be deployed to Manila to oversee the program, while Filipino coaches will also receive opportunities to train overseas.
"NVBA will be the one leading the program, including sending foreign coaches throughout the partnership. We will also be sending local coaches of NVBA-MIA to other countries for further training and exposure. Local coaches will also be evaluated from time to time to make sure standards are carried out consistently," he said.
Looking ahead, Nubla hopes the academy will become a launching pad for young Filipino players aspiring to compete on the international stage.
"I want to establish NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy as an elite training academy for those who are really and seriously committed to competing abroad," he said.
"The end goal of NVBA is to have international champions from each of its franchise partners."
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