KUALA LUMPUR: The new national coach for the singles department must establish a strong rapport with the players, said former BAM high performance director Datuk James Selvaraj.
James added that this is especially important if the new coach is a foreigner.
"They need to understand the character and the needs of the players. There needs to be strong communication between both parties to achieve this.
"At the same time, the players need to listen, and by building the relationship, it can help the players trust that the coach has their best interest in mind," he said.
James also echoed Datuk Lee Chong Wei's sentiment that even the best coach in the world cannot help the players become champions if the players don't put in the work.
Yesterday, BAM acting president Datuk V. Subramaniam made it known that the new singles coach will be announced on Nov 25.
Later in the day, former Denmark head coach Kenneth Jonassen emerged as the front-runner to handle both the national men's and women's singles departments.
Jonassen guided Denmark's world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen to his first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021 and the world title in 2017 in Glasgow.