KUALA LUMPUR – There will be no winter wonderland for Denmark’s Kenneth Jonassen this Christmas, as he prepares for a much warmer celebration with his family in Malaysia.
The newly appointed Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) singles head coach revealed today that he had already planned to spend the festive season in Malaysia, even before accepting his new role.
“Call it coincidence, but six months ago, I decided I wanted my family to experience Malaysia,” said Jonassen.
“We’ll be spending Christmas and New Year’s here, and once they return to Denmark, I’ll officially start my duties. I don’t know if this is destiny playing a trick on us, but yes, it will definitely be a warmer Christmas.”
Jonassen, 50, announced his departure from Badminton Denmark after the 2024 Paris Olympics in August. He will return to Denmark tomorrow after spending time with the Malaysian national team but plans to come back to Kuala Lumpur a few days before Christmas.
“I’m flying back tomorrow evening, but I wanted to make a courtesy stop here to introduce myself properly. There’s only so much you can do over the phone or through emails,” said Jonassen.
“Since I’m here, I decided to start watching some training sessions and hold initial meetings. I’ve already had some good discussions and today met about 50 new faces and names.
“That’s a lot to take in, but it’s a good start. I’ll head back to Denmark to prepare and stay in touch with the coaching team before returning for Christmas,” said the Dane.
Jonassen will oversee both the men’s and women’s singles departments when he begins his new role in January. Also present at his first official press conference earlier today was ABM coaching director Rexy Mainaky. – November 25, 2024