KUALA LUMPUR – Newly appointed Indian national doubles head coach Tan Kim Her has set an ambitious goal: to develop 1,000 doubles shuttlers before the next Olympic cycle.
The 53-year-old Malaysian, globally recognised as a doubles specialist, has returned to the Indian badminton circuit after the departure of Matthias Bo.
This move comes in the wake of India’s top doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, bowing out in the quarter-finals of the Paris Olympics last August.
Kim Her’s first tenure with India, from 2015 to 2019, was pivotal for Indian doubles badminton.
He identified raw talent in Satwik and Chirag and formed their partnership, guiding them from promising juniors to international contenders with a string of notable performances on the global stage.
Speaking to Scoop after Satwik and Chirag’s semi-final defeat to South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae at the ongoing Malaysia Open, Kim Her outlined his vision to nurture Indian players capable of winning prestigious titles in the future.
Kim Her, who also previously served as head coach of the Japanese national team, said the Badminton Association of India (BAI) has not assigned specific key performance indicators (KPIs) for him yet. However, he has set his own ambitious targets.
“My primary focus is to elevate the level of play for Satwik and Chirag, particularly in improving their rotation and competitive dynamics,” said Kim Her. “My aim is also to revamp the doubles programme within the BAI and engage with young prospects across the country.”
He added, “While the BAI hasn’t set targets for me, I’ve set a personal goal: to develop as many players as possible. I want Indian shuttlers to compete for and win titles like the All England and the World Championships – tournaments they haven’t won before, especially in men’s doubles.”
Kim Her’s most striking ambition, however, is his goal of producing 1,000 doubles players by the next Olympic cycle, building a robust pipeline of backup talent for India.
“Indian shuttlers are very trustworthy, down-to-earth, and a joy to train,” he said. “I aim to produce as many as 1,000 shuttlers, if possible, until the next Olympic cycle so that India has a strong pool of backup players in the years to come.”
Kim Her’s track record includes coaching Japan’s Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi to their 2021 World Championship victory.
His return to India promises renewed momentum for the country’s doubles programme. – January 12, 2025