KUALA LUMPUR — Newly appointed national men’s doubles coach Herry Iman Pierngadi, or Herry IP, believes that commitment and consistency are the cornerstones of developing world-class players capable of winning World Championships or Olympic gold medals.
Having previously nurtured elite doubles pairs in Indonesia, Herry emphasised that success also requires a disciplined mindset and an unyielding fighting spirit.
“It’s not easy (to become world champions and Olympic champions); it must come through hard work, and the players must give total commitment.
“Motivation needs to be raised, and there must be unwavering consistency. I often stress that the ‘head must become the feet, and the feet must become the head’ – that is true totality,” he said when met by reporters after observing the national badminton squad’s training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara here today.
Acknowledging the inevitable ups and downs in sports, he stressed that it is the coach’s responsibility to ensure players perform at their peak.
Among the world-class doubles pairs he previously mentored are Hendra Setiawan-Markis Kido and Chandra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan, both of whom have claimed World Championship and Olympic gold medals.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) appointed the 62-year-old coach as the successor to Tan Bin Shen, who recently moved to Hong Kong.
As he officially begins his duties tomorrow, Herry’s immediate priority is understanding the unique characteristics of each player to tailor individualised training programmes and shape them into champions.
“Each player has a different style, so the training approach will not be the same. A coach needs to understand the players’ personalities to shape them into champions,” he said. — January 31, 2025