KUALA LUMPUR: Independent coach Nova Armada believes the resurgence of men's singles Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin offers fresh hope for national discards aiming to prolong their careers as professionals.
Aidil, then ranked World No. 137, was dropped by the BA of Malaysia (BAM) in June last year, but Nova took him in as a sparring partner for Cheah Liek Hou ahead of the Paris Paralympics in August.
Following Liek Hou's successful gold medal defence, Nova helped Aidil secure sponsors, allowing him to resume tournament play.
The 25-year-old has since surged to World No. 59 after winning the Sri Lanka International Challenge (IC) two weeks ago.
Aidil continued his fine form at the Ruichang Masters Super 100, reaching the semi-finals before falling to China's Sun Chang 13-21, 21-19, 21-18 on Saturday.
Despite the loss, he is set to climb to World No. 52, and Nova believes the shuttler is on the right path to breaking into the top 32 by year's end.
"Aidil was unable to break into the top 60 when he was with BAM, so this is a great step forward. It proves that players dropped from the national team can still thrive as professionals if they are willing to work hard," Nova said.
"If he reaches the top 50, he can enter Super 500 events, accelerating his chances of making the top 32.
"He still needs to work on his physical strength and consistency, but if he achieves this goal, attracting sponsors will be much easier.
"I hope his success encourages more independent players to take their careers seriously."
Aidil's next challenge will be at the Vietnam IC in Hanoi from March 25-30.