KUALA LUMPUR — The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has again secured the services of Malaysian doubles specialist Tan Kim Her.
According to The Times of India, Kim Her, credited with the rise of India’s top men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, will join the Indian national team for a second stint after coaching with the Nippon Badminton Association since 2019.
During his tenure in Japan, Kim Her played a key role in guiding the men’s doubles duo Takuro Hoki and Yugo Kobayashi to victory at the 2021 World Championships.
Kim Her, who also has coaching experience in South Korea and England, will replace Danish former international Matthias Boe, whose contract with BAI was not renewed after the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kim Her previously coached in India from 2015 to 2019.
According to sources quoted by The Times of India, Kim Her has accepted a two-year contract running until the 2026 Asian Games, with a monthly salary of US$10,000 (RM44,300) paid by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to oversee the national doubles department.
“Kim Her has accepted the offer and will soon join the Indian badminton setup. Both Satwik and Chirag were keen to have him back. Following their request, we approached him, and he agreed,” said a BAI source.
The source added, “We previously approached him to coach our doubles teams in 2022, with a primary focus on Satwik and Chirag, but he declined due to personal reasons. Kim Her understands Satwik and Chirag’s game well, and they will benefit greatly from his guidance.”
BAI has also reportedly appointed Indonesian Adi Pratama as the new singles head coach to replace his compatriot Agus Dwi Santoso. Pratama will also receive US$10,000 (RM44,300) per month. – November 14, 2024