KUALA LUMPUR: Yeoh Kay Bin will employ the legendary coaching methods of Li Mao to help world No. 6 Lee Zii Jia evolve into a dominant force on the court.
The 44-year-old Kay Bin was appointed by Zii Jia's management team, TeamLZJ, to replace Wong Tat Meng and guide the former All England champion in his pursuit of greater heights.
Tat Meng had introduced Zii Jia to Li Mao's renowned training methods, which contributed to the shuttler's Olympic bronze medal success at the Paris Games in August.
With Tat Meng's departure, Zii Jia turned to Kay Bin, who also trained under Li Mao during his stint in China.
Kay Bin gained valuable experience with Li Mao at the Kawasaki Badminton International Club in Shenzhen from 2015 to 2017 and later as the Henan Province coach from 2017 to 2020.
The former 1998 world junior silver medallist credits this experience with transforming his coaching abilities, enabling him to merge his international playing background with Li Mao's philosophies.
"The Li Mao factor has opened the door for me to prove my capabilities as a coach," said Kay Bin.
"I had the international playing experience, and after working under Li Mao, I learned what it takes to be a good coach on and off the court.
"Tat Meng also used Li Mao's methods to guide Zii Jia, and I am aligned with the same philosophies. I will continue to apply Li Mao's approach to improve every aspect of Zii Jia's game.
"It's a challenging job as Zii Jia is the No. 1 player in the country. My goal is to help him achieve better results and climb the world rankings."
Li Mao, who left China's national setup due to his longstanding feud with then-head coach Li Yongbo, has been instrumental in shaping several top players internationally.
His methods propelled South Korean shuttlers such as Shon Seung Mo, the 2004 Athens Olympics silver medallist, and former world No. 1 players Lee Hyun Il and Son Wan Ho.
During his tenure as Malaysia's national singles coach (2005–2006), Li Mao also mentored Datuk Lee Chong Wei, transforming him into one of the most feared players of his era.
Kay Bin, a former world No. 12, will officially start as Zii Jia's coach on Jan 1.