MIA Sports Center chief Melvin Nubla (middle) joins forces with NVBA coaching director Karen Au-Mun Yee (right) and NVBA director Dr. Sugita Kunalan for the development of Philippine badminton.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MIA SPORTS CENTER
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A new chapter for Philippine badminton unfolds as MIA Sports Center and Malaysia’s renowned New Vision Badminton Academy (NVBA) officially join forces to launch the NVBA-MIA Badminton Academy, bringing an internationally recognized training system to the country beginning August 2026.
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 1 August with training sessions beginning on 3 August 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 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.
Nubla pointed to NVBA’s consistent success in player development as the biggest factor behind the partnership.
