PETALING JAYA: There was a familiar face making waves at the China Open in Changzhou this week as former mixed doubles shuttler Tan Kian Meng took his first steps into the world of coaching.
Kian Meng, who retired in March after his final outing at the All-England with partner Lai Pei Jing, had initially planned to focus on product sales and reviews on online platforms.
He was hesitant to enter the coaching scene due to the stiff competition and the saturated landscape of badminton academies in Malaysia.
But an unexpected opportunity came his way when he was invited to join Badminton England as a guest coach.
For the 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, the offer was a golden opportunity to broaden his horizons and chart a new path following his retirement as a player.
“Actually, I see this as a great opportunity for me to learn. I’ve been with the England camp since last month after being invited to serve as a guest coach for a month.
“But now I’ve been assigned to accompany the players to several scheduled tournaments, and I feel this is a valuable experience for me," said Kian Meng when contacted on Sunday (July 27).
Kian Meng is currently working with mixed doubles pair Callum Hemming and Estelle Van Leeuwen, who are set to compete at the Macau Open starting on Tuesday. The duo will take on China’s Hong Yili-Huang Kexin in the opening round.
This week in Changzhou, Hemming-Van Leeuwen were knocked out in the first round by Denmark’s Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch.
Kian Meng is also coaching the world No. 14 men’s doubles pair Ben Lane-Sean Vendy. He is expected to remain with the England team until the China Masters in September.
Kian Meng is not the first Malaysian to lend his expertise to Badminton England. The national body had previously enlisted former internationals Koo Kien Keat and Datuk Cheah Soon Kit as guest coaches to help develop their players.
