KUALA LUMPUR — Denmark’s Kenneth Jonassen, who is reportedly set to take up the role of singles head coach at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) is expected to assume his duties on Monday.
According to a reliable source, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will make an official announcement after the national body’s council meeting tomorrow.
“BAM has chosen to employ the Dane based on his impressive credentials after carefully evaluating all the candidates. I believe more details will be revealed after the council meeting,” said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It is understood that Jonassen’s final assignment as Denmark’s head coach is at the ongoing Super 750 China Masters in Shenzhen.
The former Danish international has played a crucial role in the development and success of several top players, including two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen, reigning European champion Anders Antonsen, and leading men’s doubles pair Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen.
When BAM announced its search for a new singles head coach last month, speculation swirled about other high-profile candidates, including Indonesia’s Mulyo Handoyo, who guided Taufik Hidayat to Olympic gold in 2004, and South Korea’s Kim Ji-hyun, who coached India’s P. V. Sindhu to her 2019 World Championships triumph.
Before his 11-year tenure with Badminton Denmark, Jonassen also gained coaching experience in England.
His appointment comes alongside BAM’s decision to reappoint former Malaysian international Rosman Razak to lead the women’s doubles department. — November 22, 2024