Badminton

Hong Kong courting Malaysian coaches to be badminton power

KUALA LUMPUR: Wong Choong Hann has confirmed that three Malaysian coaches will begin work with the Hong Kong Badminton Association (HKBA) in February next year.

The three are Tan Bin Shen, Jeremy Gan and Loh Wei Sheng.

HKBA is looking to Malaysian expertise to improve its national teams, with the goal of winning a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The BA of Malaysia (BAM) yesterday surprised the badminton fraternity by announcing that Bin Shen had resigned from his position as head coach of its men's doubles department.

Bin Shen is credited with guiding men's pair, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, to two Olympic bronze medals and a World Championships title in 2022.

"Yes, all the three coaches will join me in Hong Kong. They will start in February," said HKBA head coach Choong Hann today.

"Jeremy and Bin Shen will lead the doubles group. Bin Shen will also oversee other doubles categories while also assisting with mixed doubles.

"In Hong Kong, there are no head coaches for specific categories, only one head coach overseeing all coaches, who work together to handle the three doubles groups," added former BAM technical director Choong Hann.

Former national mixed doubles coach Jeremy, who is credited with the rise of two-time Japanese Olympic bronze medallists Yuta Watanabe and Arisa Higashino, recently left his post at the Japan BA.

Wei Sheng was a former assistant coach in BAM's men's singles department before heading to Singapore where he worked with ex-world champion Loh Kean Yew.

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