KUALA LUMPUR: National coaching director Rexy Mainaky has hailed Kenneth Jonassen as a hands-on coach with a keen eye for identifying extraordinary talent.
Rexy is optimistic this will drive progress for Malaysian players when Jonassen officially assumes the role of singles head coach on Jan 4 next year.
The Indonesian recalled an amusing incident during the 2024 Thomas Cup in Chengdu, China.
After Malaysia's 3-2 group-stage defeat, Rexy bumped into Jonassen, then Denmark's head coach, in the washroom.
Rexy said Jonassen was impressed by 20-year-old Justin Hoh, who had lost the deciding match to Denmark's Rasmus Gemke.
"I happened to bump into Jonassen at the washroom, and he was quite impressed with Justin, saying the shuttler has a lot of potential," Rexy recounted.
"Spotting a player with extraordinary abilities is a special trait of a coach, and I believe Jonassen has that. This could be why he turned Viktor Axelsen into an Olympic champion and helped Anders Antonsen reach world-class status.
"Gemke and several Danish women's singles players also improved under his guidance.
Rexy highlighted Jonassen's strengths, noting his hands-on coaching style, meticulous match analysis and ability to instil mental resilience in players.
"He's always present in training and tournaments, guiding players and paying attention to finer details that improve performance," said Rexy.
"A strong character mentally, he passes that energy to his players and offers valuable input during matches to increase their winning rate. He's a hard-working coach who even contributes to other departments, such as doubles."
Jonassen, a former world No. 2 and the 2008 European champion, coached Axelsen to Olympic gold at the 2020 Tokyo Games and a world title in 2017.
While Axelsen became an independent player in 2022, he continues to train with Jonassen during major events like the Thomas Cup and World Championships.
Under Jonassen's tutelage, Antonsen clinched silver at the 2019 World Championships and won the 2020 World Tour Finals.
Jonassen will be the first European singles coach for BAM since fellow Dane Morten Frost, who had two separate stints in Malaysia.
Rexy said the Dane might need time to adapt to the Asian coaching style.
"We'll sit down and discuss his plans before finalising a programme that blends Asian and European styles," Rexy added.
"I'm looking forward to working with him. His knowledge as a top-class coach is invaluable."
Jonassen's first assignment with BAM will be the Super 1000 Malaysia Open on Jan 7-12.