Anak-anak Sidek: A legendary Malaysian badminton family with a significant history within professional Malaysian badminton

 The Sons of Sidek (Malay: Anak-anak Sidek), a legendary Malaysian badminton family with a significant history within professional Malaysian badminton 🏸🇲🇾

The patriarch of the family was their father, the late Mohd Sidek Abdullah Kamar (1936–2005), who himself was a former player turned senior coach. He started to train his five sons; Misbun, Razif, Jalani, Abdul Rahman and Abdul Rashid, from an early age at their house in Banting, Selangor.

Mohd Sidek Abdullah Kamar (1936–2005)

As soon as his sons were spotted by Khoo Teng Yuen, a Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) coach, he transferred them to a prestigious secondary school known as Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, where he (Khoo) was based. The training ultimately culminated in regaining the Thomas Cup in 1992 after a lapse of 25 years.

The five Sons of Sidek, who were also world-class players, began their run of success in the early 1980s. They won titles and medals in major tournaments, including All-England, World Cup, Olympic Games, and many big open tournaments.

In 1985, the Sons of Sidek made history when they became the largest sibling group ever to represent the country abroad in the same sporting event. Misbun, Razif, Jalani, Rahman and Rashid were all selected to compete at the Hong Kong Open.

They are also known as the founder of the infamous “S” serve, which caused a deceptively erratic shuttle movement, which confounded their opponents and officials alike. The serve caused much uproar and was eventually banned by the International Badminton Federation (IBF).

Achievement of the Sons of Sidek:

Misbun Sidek - World Cup runner-up (1982), All-England runner-up (1986), Thomas Cup runner-up (1988)

Razif & Jalani Sidek - All-England champion (1982), World Grand Prix Finals gold medallist (1986, 1988, 1989, 1991), World Championships silver medallist (1987), World Cup gold medalist (1990, 1991), Thomas Cup champions (1992), Olympic Games bronze medallist (1992), Asian Championships gold medallist (1992)

Rahman Sidek - Thomas Cup champions (1992), Asian Championships bronze medallist (1992)

Rashid Sidek - Asian Championships gold medallist (1991, 1992), Thomas Cup champions (1992), World Grand Prix Finals gold medallist (1992), Olympic Games bronze medallist (1996), All-England runner-up (1996)

Note:

In Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Sidek is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name or initial name; Misbun, Razif, Jalani, Rahman and Rashid.

Photo credits to the rightful owners 📷

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