PETALING JAYA: Former internationals Jeremy Gan and Tan Kim Her are set for longer stints as the coaches of the Japan national badminton team.
Jeremy and Kim Her, who are in charge of the mixed and men’s doubles departments, are among the six members of the Japanese coaching set-up – led by supremo Park Joo-bong – expected to be handed contract extensions by the Japan BA because of the Tokyo Olympics postponement.
The Japan BA are clearly delighted with their coaches’ performance and are keen to retain the services of Joo-bong and Co although their contract runs until March next year.
The other three coaches are Kei Nakashima (women’s doubles), Choi Sang-beom (women’s singles) and Yosuke Nakanishi (men’s singles).
Japan BA’s senior official Kinji Zeniya is hopeful that all the six coaches would commit until at least the completion of Tokyo 2020, which has been rescheduled to July 23-Aug 8 next year.
“I want every one to continue. I think Park (Joo-bong) intends to do so, and so do the rest of the coaching staff,” Ziniya told Japanese daily sports newspaper Nikkan Sports.
Jeremy was the first to join the Japan BA in January 2018 before Kim Her followed suit in April last year after serving three-and-a-half years with the India BA.
Jeremy guided his charges Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino to Japan’s first-ever mixed doubles title at the All-England two years ago, a feat that Kim Her matched last month when Hiroyuki Endo and Watanabe emerged as the first Japanese men’s doubles champions in the world’s oldest tournament’s 110-year history.
Jeremy and Kim Her will be tasked with leading their players to glory at the home Olympics. No Japanese has ever won a medal yet in both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles competitions since badminton’s inception at the Olympics in Barcelona 1992.
As for South Korean doubles legend Joo-bong, putting pen to paper would see him serving the Japan BA beyond 17 years.
Joo-bong, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics men’s doubles gold medallist, was instrumental in turning Japan from being a big flop at the 2004 Athens Olympics into a powerhouse with their players producing several remarkable achievements.
These include the Japanese side winning their first Thomas Cup in 2014 and women’s doubles pair Misako Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi creating history as the first Japanese to win gold in badminton at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Under Joo-bong’s leadership, Japan also produced two first world champions in the men and women’s singles. Women’s singles player Nozomi Okuhara achieved the feat in 2017 before it was emulated by Kento Momota who won the men’s singles title back to back in 2018 and 2019.
Jeremy and Kim Her, who are in charge of the mixed and men’s doubles departments, are among the six members of the Japanese coaching set-up – led by supremo Park Joo-bong – expected to be handed contract extensions by the Japan BA because of the Tokyo Olympics postponement.
The Japan BA are clearly delighted with their coaches’ performance and are keen to retain the services of Joo-bong and Co although their contract runs until March next year.
The other three coaches are Kei Nakashima (women’s doubles), Choi Sang-beom (women’s singles) and Yosuke Nakanishi (men’s singles).
Japan BA’s senior official Kinji Zeniya is hopeful that all the six coaches would commit until at least the completion of Tokyo 2020, which has been rescheduled to July 23-Aug 8 next year.
“I want every one to continue. I think Park (Joo-bong) intends to do so, and so do the rest of the coaching staff,” Ziniya told Japanese daily sports newspaper Nikkan Sports.
Jeremy was the first to join the Japan BA in January 2018 before Kim Her followed suit in April last year after serving three-and-a-half years with the India BA.
Jeremy guided his charges Yuta Watanabe-Arisa Higashino to Japan’s first-ever mixed doubles title at the All-England two years ago, a feat that Kim Her matched last month when Hiroyuki Endo and Watanabe emerged as the first Japanese men’s doubles champions in the world’s oldest tournament’s 110-year history.
Jeremy and Kim Her will be tasked with leading their players to glory at the home Olympics. No Japanese has ever won a medal yet in both the men’s doubles and mixed doubles competitions since badminton’s inception at the Olympics in Barcelona 1992.
As for South Korean doubles legend Joo-bong, putting pen to paper would see him serving the Japan BA beyond 17 years.
Joo-bong, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics men’s doubles gold medallist, was instrumental in turning Japan from being a big flop at the 2004 Athens Olympics into a powerhouse with their players producing several remarkable achievements.
These include the Japanese side winning their first Thomas Cup in 2014 and women’s doubles pair Misako Matsutomo-Ayaka Takahashi creating history as the first Japanese to win gold in badminton at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Under Joo-bong’s leadership, Japan also produced two first world champions in the men and women’s singles. Women’s singles player Nozomi Okuhara achieved the feat in 2017 before it was emulated by Kento Momota who won the men’s singles title back to back in 2018 and 2019.
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