PETALING JAYA: Former national mixed doubles player Tan Kian Meng is keeping himself busy in England by juggling multiple roles.
Kian Meng has started his own badminton academy while also serving as the national doubles lead coach at Milton Keynes with the Badminton Association of England (BAE).
He has launched the TKRacket Badminton Academy at a school in London, offering training sessions to anyone interested in the sport.
Kian Meng, who is the director of coaching, will only be present on Saturdays and Sundays, while sessions on the other days are handled by his partners Kelvin Ho (head coach) and Rachel Guo (assistant coach).
"It’s a part-time job as I already have my hands full with England’s national team," said Kian Meng.
"It’s open to everyone. Malaysian students there too who want to sweat it out are most welcome."
During the week, Kian Meng focuses on guiding players aged 19-20 at the national training centre.
He was initially invited as a guest coach from June to September, but after his stint ended, the BAE offered him a contract until 2028, making him the first Malaysian coach to train England’s national players on a long-term basis.
Prior to Kian Meng, former internationals Cheah Soon Kit and Koo Kien Keat had also been hired as guest coaches for short stints.
Kian Meng said he is enjoying life as a coach.
"I’ve competed in the All-England for many years but at the most recent edition, I turned up as a coach for the first time. It was an exciting experience," said Kian Meng.
He worked together with Chris Adcock in guiding world No. 25 pair Callum Hemming-Estelle van Leeuwen, who lost to Malaysia’s Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie in the opening round.
"My main role is to develop players aged 19-20 who are transitioning into the senior team across all three doubles departments. There are a few good and promising pairs," he added.
Kian Meng previously partnered Lai Pei Jing under the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), and the pair rose as high as world No. 5 in 2022 before he left the national set-up in 2021.
