KUALA LUMPUR: The long-awaited question of who will fill the position of the national men's doubles coach was finally answered when the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced the appointment of experienced Indonesian coach, Herry Iman Pierngadi.
The announcement was made by BAM’s acting president, Datuk S. Subramaniam, after chairing the Council Meeting in Bukit Jalil on Saturday (Jan 11).
The 62-year-old coach will begin his duties on Feb 1 and will collaborate with Muhammad Miftakh to train and oversee the national men's doubles players, particularly top pairs, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik.
Subramaniam acknowledged that Herry’s name had been associated with BAM for several weeks, but emphasized that careful consideration was needed before reaching a final decision.
It is understood that BAM spent a significant amount to secure Herry's services, however, the details of the coach's salary have not been disclosed.
For the long-term plan, Herry's arrival is aimed at helping Malaysia win a gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, but BAM has not rushed to set short-term goals for the experienced Indonesian coach.
"Firstly, the coach has to sit and assess all the players who will be under him, to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player. The coach will also need to consider the coaches working under him. I think this will take some time, probably around 10 days.
"Only then can the coach come up with a plan, as Rexy (Mainaky) said, outlining what needs to be done, altered, amended or strengthened."
For coaching director Rexy Mainaky, Herry is no stranger, as they had worked together as players at the Bimantara Tangkas club in Indonesia.
Herry has also worked with several world-renowned players such as Candra Wijaya and Tony Gunawan, Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido, as well as Kevin Sanjaya and Marcus Fernaldi.
"He (Herry) is an experienced coach, and when I was a player, he was tasked with training the backup players in the Indonesian squad, and those players went on to become some of the best in the world, such as Sigit Budiarto and Halim Haryanto.
"So his credibility is unquestionable," said Rexy.
Herry will replace the previous men's doubles coach, Tan Bin Shen, who decided to join the Hong Kong team.
