PETALING JAYA: Danish badminton legend Kenneth Jonassen has a lot to tackle as the new national singles head coach, but he’s not rushing to make changes yet.
The 50-year-old, who officially assumed his role with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) yesterday, is eager to see how the hybrid of Asian and European coaching styles will work in the national set-up.
But Jonassen wants to understand the ins and outs of the department before implementing any changes.
“I want to have individual talks with everybody, each player and coach before making any changes.
“So it’s business as usual for the next two, maybe three weeks, because I want to understand what motivates them before I settle in with some of my ideas,” he said, when met at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (BAM) yesterday.
Jonassen’s arrival at BAM comes right before the Malaysian Open, but the Dane will be taking a backseat for the time being.
After men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia pulled out of the tournament due to an injury, Malaysia only has Leong Jun Hao in contention, and he faces a tough challenge against China’s Lu Guangzu in the opening round at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
“There are no easy draws in a Super 1000. But for me, I look at this as the beginning of the journey, so to speak.
“I’m going to be in the second seat, and let coach Yogendran do his thing because it would be wrong for me to go in.
“So I’ll start observing next week, and I can’t wait to get started.
“This will be step one,” said Jonassen.
Another player who will be on Jonassen’s radar is Ng Tze Yong, who has been struggling to get his mind out of a slump following a back injury that has seen him miss action for almost a year.
National coaching director Rexy Mainaky had said that Tze Yong is fearful that his injury would rear its ugly head again, which is keeping the 24-year-old away from competing.
“He (Tze Yong) has shown great results in the past and I can’t see why it shouldn’t be possible again, as long as the body can hold up to what is needed as a top men’s singles player,” said Jonassen.
“I think it’s natural for any player that has gone through surgeries to be cautious on their way back to the highest level.
“But I want to discuss and hear from his side on how he’s feeling and what his thoughts are.’’ Kenneth played a key role in Denmark’s badminton legacy during his 13 years as a coach and also served as the head coach of England.
The former world No. 2 in men’s singles has also won several titles including the German, Korean, Dutch and Singapore Opens during his playing career.
