Malaysian doubles coach Tan Kim Her returns for second stint with Indian Badminton Team

In a press release issued on Wednesday, the BAI stated, "The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has appointed Malaysian doubles specialist Tan Kim Her to work with the national team for the second time."

Tan, instrumental in pairing the now-superstar duo of Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy during his first tenure with India, will focus on developing strong doubles partnerships and strengthening the team bench ahead of the upcoming major sporting events. After a successful stint with the Indian team from 2015 to 2019, he will succeed Danish Olympic medallist Mathias Boe, who retired from coaching following the Paris Olympics earlier this year. India failed to secure any medals at the Olympics, with even dark-horse contenders such as Satwiksairaj Rankireddy-Chirag Shetty, Lakshya Sen, and PV Sindhu falling short.

After working with Japanese men's doubles pairs since 2019, Tan returns to India to build on his earlier success. He has already arrived in the country and joined the players in Hyderabad to commence his second tenure with the team.

BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra said, "We had been looking for quality foreign coaches who could work with our current top players and also guide our next-generation athletes as we prepare for the 2028 Olympics. Finding the right coach took time, but we were determined to bring in someone who can continue the development of our badminton stars, work with a larger group of players, and help build a strong pipeline of talent for the future."

Commenting on his return, Tan said, "I am very happy to be back in India and get a chance to work with Satwik-Chirag, as well as the young and talented doubles players who have the potential to follow in their footsteps. I look forward to creating a larger pool of doubles combinations capable of winning tournaments on the world stage." (ANI)