PETALING JAYA: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen has stressed that he has no plans to leave and will remain in his position to continue developing the country’s shuttlers.
Jonassen acknowledged that last year brought few notable achievements for both the men and women’s singles squads.
Even more disappointing was the inconsistency of Malaysia’s No. 1 men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao, whose results often fell short of expectations.
Speculation had emerged that Jonassen’s position might be under threat or that his role within the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) could be changed.
For example, the claim that he would be demoted and assigned to coach only the women’s singles squad.
However, Jonassen denied the rumours and said he remains fully committed to his role as national singles coaching director.
“I’m in it for the long run. I’m not here for a quick fix or a brief taste of victory. No, I’m here to develop. That was the key reason I came in – to develop players both at the junior level and all the way up to the senior level. That is how my expectations are.
“I may seem calm, but my ambitions are big. I come from a system where things take time. The top players in Denmark were not developed overnight. It takes a lot of time, and I have the same patience here. However, the progress, work ethic, and willingness to learn must come from the players themselves.
“A player’s ability to learn and to give their maximum effort every day is what makes the difference. Talent only opens the door. After that comes the ability to learn and work hard,” said Jonassen, who was brought in by BAM last year.
Jonassen is also currently involved in the process of appointing new coaches to the national squad to further strengthen the coaching line-up.
However, his priority is to recruit coaches who are capable not only of handling the men’s and women’s singles squads, but also of working collaboratively to lead the junior players for the greater good.
“I would say I want progress as soon as possible. But for me, it’s about getting the right coaches who are available at the right time. I am in the process of doing that. Some things are already going really well, and I hope to share them with everyone.
“Of course, I share it internally first because my current coaches also need to understand the changes that will take place. My mindset is that we work as one big team across women’s and men’s singles, and across junior and senior levels. I believe this is the only way we can develop players and create a clear pathway from early juniors to world-class potential,” he added.
