KUALA LUMPUR — The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has high expectations for newly appointed national singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen, entrusting him with the mission of securing a gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
While this goal may seem ambitious, BAM believes in setting high standards as one of the global badminton powerhouses, especially with the appointment of a high-profile coach like Jonassen.
Jonassen brings a wealth of experience from his 11-year tenure with Denmark’s national team, where he coached top players such as Viktor Axelsen and Anders Antonsen.
His achievements include guiding Axelsen to the 2017 World Championship title in Glasgow and the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, as well as helping Antonsen secure a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.
Acting BAM president Datuk V. Subramaniam expressed hope that the 50-year-old coach could replicate such successes with Malaysia’s badminton squad.
“Of course, the goal is to produce the world’s best players who can reach the Olympics and bring home the gold.
“He will work closely with Rexy Mainaky (coaching director), and together it will be their shared responsibility to bring that gold medal home from Los Angeles 2028,” said Subramaniam at a press conference today at Akademi Badminton Malaysia, Bukit Kiara today.
Jonassen will be officially introduced to the players this Monday but will officially begin his duties on January 4.
He will oversee both the men’s and women’s singles teams, with the latter currently led by Jeffer Rosobin.
Subramaniam explained that BAM took time to finalise Jonassen’s appointment to ensure the chosen coach met the association’s criteria.
Jonassen’s appointment followed a thorough selection process, which included considering several other candidates for the position left vacant by former coach Hendrawan.
The Dane has been signed on a four-year contract, which runs until the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
“We recognise that we are behind in the singles department, which is why we took our time to find the right candidate.
“We held discussions with many coaches and considered several factors, including how well the new coach would work with Rexy and the rest of the team.
“We even interviewed candidates from Asia, but ultimately, we narrowed it down to Jonassen. The most important thing is that he has a strong track record and can deliver in his role,” he added.
Prior to Jonassen’s appointment, BAM had already made structural changes by bringing back Rosman Razak to head the women’s doubles department. — November 23, 2024