Exclusive: Coach Kim Her Returns to Indian Badminton.
NEW DELHI: Renowned Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her, widely recognized for shaping the careers of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, two of the world’s top men’s doubles players, is set to return to India for a second tenure.
TOI has learned that Tan Kim Her, who served as India’s doubles coach from 2015 to 2019 before stepping down for personal reasons, has agreed to the Badminton Association of India’s (BAI) proposal to coach the World Championships bronze medalist duo, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, until the 2026 Asian Games. He will succeed Danish legend Mathias Boe, who ended his association with the Indian pair after his contract was not renewed following the Paris Olympics.
The badminton giants were evenly matched at 5-5 in their head-to-head record heading into the clash, and it initially seemed like Lee’s day to shine after Christie lost the opening game. However, the Indonesian staged a remarkable comeback to secure a 12-21, 21-18, 21-18 victory in 64 minutes at the Kumamoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Lee began strongly, dominating the first game with a six-point streak from 5-5 to seize control, eventually cruising to victory in the opener.
Lee appeared to be in command in the second game as well, building a 12-7 lead and seeming on track for the semifinals. But Christie steadily chipped away at the lead, leveling the score at 18 before clinching the final three points to take the set.
The deciding game was a nail-biter, with neither player holding a lead of more than three points. In a gripping exchange, Christie edged ahead at the critical moment, winning the last three points from 18-all to seal the match.
As the fourth seed, Christie will now face Lee’s compatriot, Leong Jun Hao, in the semifinals after Leong overcame home favorite Naraoka Kodai 21-17, 9-21, 21-16.
