KUALA LUMPUR: Seasoned Indonesian coach Herry Iman Pierngadi is excited to embark on his new journey with the Malaysian badminton squad this Saturday.
The 62-year-old Herry arrived in Kuala Lumpur late Thursday night with his family and will officially take on his role as the new men’s doubles coach, filling the vacancy left by Tan Bin Shen.
Despite spending over three decades coaching Indonesian players, this will be his first overseas stint.
However, Herry remains unfazed by the challenge and revealed several key reasons that convinced him to accept the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) offer.
“I’m not nervous at all. I’ve received offers from other countries before, but why did I choose Malaysia?
“Well, for one, it’s close to Indonesia. The food and culture are similar, the language is the same, and most importantly, I see great potential in the players,” he said.
Although he will only begin his duties officially on Saturday, Herry has already met several Malaysian shuttlers last week during the Indonesian Masters.
Among them were world No. 5 pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King, and Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing.
“Yes, I actually met them in Jakarta the other day. We spoke, had a meal together, and got to know each other. These players aren’t strangers to me, as I’ve seen them many times before,” he added.
During his tenure with the Indonesia Badminton Association, Herry played a pivotal role in producing some of the world’s best men’s doubles pairs, including Chandra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan, Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan, and Kevin Sanjaya-Marcus Gideon.
