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, July 23, with MIA Sports Center president Melvin Nubla, NVBA coaching director Karen Au-Mun Yee, and NVBA director Dr. Sugita Kunalan in attendance.

The academy, which will officially launch on Aug. 1, aims to bring an internationally recognized training system to the country. Training sessions will begin on Aug. 3 at the MIA Sports Center at the MIAA Building in Aurora Ave, Tramo in Pasay City. 

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 United States, Hong Kong, and Puerto Rico.

Both Khrishnan and Yeoh are currently part of the Malaysian national badminton team’s coaching staff.

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.”

He added that NVBA’s careful approach to international expansion made the collaboration even more meaningful, pointing out to NVBA’s consistent success in player development as the biggest factor behind the partnership.

“What makes them stand out is the tried and tested training program and their passion to develop and make the player win in international competitions. Their intention is for their partners to also succeed by developing local players and coaches,” he said.

“Partnering with NVBA also allows MIA to have access to the global network of NVBA from trainings, coaches, and other resources.”

Beyond developing players, the academy also 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.”

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.

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,” he added.