Indonesian badminton coach Irwansiah, who was the long-time singles coach of Badminton Powerhouse, said he accepted an offer from India after his contract with Persatuan Bulutangkis Seluruh Indonesia (PBSI, the country’s badminton federation) expired. Irwania has also seen the rise of men’s singles stars Jonathan Christie and Anthony Ginting, both of whom are ranked No. 2 in the world.
“PBSI did not send me to the China Masters and Superseries Final Championship without informing me as my employer,” Irwansyah said in a statement on CNN Indonesia. “And so far there is no clarity and reason why I was not sent to accompany the players and I was not included, then I decided to accept one of the offers from abroad,” said Irwansyah. “I wanted to try a new challenge and seek new experiences living abroad with my husband and children. My family and I decided to accept the job offer as a coach in India.
Christy, who won the 2018 Asian Games gold, thanked his coach on his Instagram account. “Thank you for all the good things and memories we’ve had together so far, I wish you all the best for the future,” he posted on one story.
Indonesia had a tough men’s singles event at Paris 2024. Jinting was unable to make it out of the group after Thomas Jr.’s loss to Popov. Third seed Kristi was eliminated by Lakshya Sen in the group stage as well. But in the year 2024 also saw some notable results for the unmarried stars of the badminton-mad nation.
Irwansyah recently told MNC Portal Indonesia, “If you say the result is bad, then OK, Jonathan and Ginting’s Olympics did not produce good results, I accept it, and I am responsible for it.” But not everything is bad. This year’s All England is the first time in 30 years, Jonathan and Ginting have made the All England final.
It is not yet clear what role the Badminton Association of India has given him.
Last week, the BAI confirmed the appointment of Malaysian doubles specialist Tan Kim Hearn for a second stint with the national team. “Tan will focus on developing strong doubles partnerships and bench strength ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” said a BAI statement, instrumental in pairing Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy during their first stint with India.
Tan has already arrived in India and started his second season with the team, joining the players in Hyderabad.
As we prepare for the 2028 Olympics, we are looking for quality overseas coaches to work with our current best players and guide our next generation of players. While finding the right coach will take time, we are committed to continuing the development of our badminton stars and working with a diverse group of players to help build a strong pipeline of talent for the future,” said Sanjay Mishra, Secretary General of BAI.
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