KUALA LUMPUR – The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has decided to give Herry Iman Pierngadi, their newly appointed national men’s doubles head coach, time to settle into his role before setting any key performance indicators (KPIs).
Herry, a former Indonesian badminton legend, will replace Tan Bin Shen, who is set to join the Hong Kong national team next month.
Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky said Herry needs to familiarise himself with Malaysian players and their culture before performance targets are discussed.
“Herry is already an experienced coach, and I have known him since his playing days when I used to play singles. When he retired, he became a coach for Indonesia’s junior backups, and he brings a wealth of experience.
“We will sit down and let him assess the players before setting any KPIs. Likely, we’ll focus on upcoming events such as this year’s World Championships, the Bangkok SEA Games, and several other tournaments. However, our ultimate goal remains winning a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“We need to allow Herry to understand our players’ culture. While Malaysian and Indonesian cultures are similar, the generations of players are different. I’ll give him time to get to know our players before setting targets.
“With Herry on board, alongside Kenneth Jonassen (as singles head coach) and several other experienced coaches, we have a solid team. If we work together, I’m confident we can achieve a lot over the next four years.
“We often pray to God for change, but unless we change ourselves, nothing will improve. No matter which coach we bring in, the players also need to align themselves with BAM’s plans. We will provide the best coaches, but the players must play their part and embrace the coach’s vision,” Rexy said during a press conference at Axiata Arena today.
Meanwhile, BAM acting president Datuk V. Subramaniam pledged the governing body’s full support for Herry, assuring that BAM would not interfere in his decision-making process.
“Our role as administrators is to support. Whatever decisions coach Herry makes with the players, we will not interfere unless there is evidence of mistreatment.
“To date, we have not intervened in coaching decisions, and Herry will have full autonomy. This approach has been our practice, and it will remain so,” Subramaniam said.
Herry, renowned for coaching Olympic champions Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan (2000 Sydney) and Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido (2008 Beijing), emerged as the strongest candidate for the role.
He was selected over other notable contenders, including Flandy Limpele and Paulus Firman, following his recent departure from the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI). – January 11, 2025