KUALA LUMPUR: The arrival of legendary Indonesian coach Herry Iman Pierngadi (pic) has generated a wave of excitement as he takes on his new role as Malaysia’s men’s doubles coach.
But as the nation sets its sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the big question remains, can he be the key to delivering Malaysia’s elusive first Olympic gold medal?
Herry is among the high-profile coaches brought in by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in the hopes of ending the country’s six-decade long wait for Olympic glory.
While the challenge is immense, the 62-year-old is ready to embrace it.
One of the key aspects that caught his attention is how Malaysia’s men’s doubles players possess skills and technical abilities similar to their Indonesian counterparts.
However, like many coaches before him, Herry believes that while he can provide guidance, the ultimate responsibility lies with the players themselves.
“They are highly motivated. Even during the Indonesian Masters, I saw them training hard. Their hunger is there, and that gives me hope,” said Herry.
“Their motivation, playing style, and techniques have evolved compared to 50 years ago.
“Malaysia’s men’s doubles pairs are not much different from the Indonesian counterparts.
“To be Olympic champions, they must be disciplined, work hard, and give their all.”
Although Herry has the recipe for Olympic glory, having guided Tony Gunawan-Candra Wijaya to gold at the 2000 Sydney Games and later Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan to victory at the 2008 Beijing Games, Indonesia’s men’s doubles have struggled in the last four editions.
The drought worsened at the Paris Olympics last August, where they did not only fail to strike gold but returned home empty-handed.
However, Herry believes his new assignment in Malaysia will be slightly easier as the country currently has four men’s doubles pairs ranked in the world’s top 20.
Out of the four, three are part of the national squad under his charge which consists of Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun, and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King.
Meanwhile, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, who are ranked world No. 2, compete as independent players.
“The gap among the pairs in the top 20 is not too wide. This makes training easier for us,” he added.
In the short term, he sees the national men doubles department as strong contenders at the world’s oldest badminton tournament, the All-England in March.
“There is a chance, but of course, every country wants the same. However, I believe Malaysia has a real opportunity for this because there are four strong pairs. Moreover, just recently, Wei Chong-Kai Wun managed to win the Indonesian Masters. So, there is a chance,” he said.
