India’s new Malaysian doubles coach Tan Kim Her feels only training for long hours won’t help the Indian doubles shuttlers in achieving success and they need to start believing in themselves. “I think Indian players don’t believe in themselves. I know they can go a long way. Once you believe in yourself, you feel confident and you can do it,” the 44-year-old, who signed a five-year contract to be BAI’s doubles coach in July last year, told PTI .
“You have to tell yourself that you have good defence and attack to beat any player. But they lack in self belief,” he added. Elaborating on his point, the Malaysian said: “Look at Akshay Dewalkar and Pranaav Jerry Chopra, they have been playing for many years and look how they performed (runners-up in Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold) when they believed in themselves.
“Sometimes with the seniors I have to really work on their psychology. The game is just 30 to 40 minutes but you train so much. Why waste your energy? It is not about how much you train, it is about how they control themselves and generate self belief,” he said.
Tan Kim Her, who has coached in South Korea, England and Malaysia, is very hopeful of a doubles medal at Rio Olympics. “Jwala (Gutta) and Ashwini (Ponnappa) and Manu (Attri) and Sumeet (Reddy) are on track for the Olympics. But I don’t want to give any false hope, so let the time come. Anything can happen at the Olympics. There are some players who can’t take the pressure and lose, and it can happen. It’s all about handling pressure. So let’s stay positive.
Short and long-term plans
“I have a short and a long term plan. Short term plan is making the seniors qualify for Rio Games and long term is that I made a promise to myself that I want to do something for India in 2020 Olympics.” Ever since 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist pair of V Diju and Jwala Gutta — a former World No. 7 combo — stopped playing, India failed to have a single pair inside the World top 25.
Tan Kim Her, who was the National mixed doubles coach in Malaysia before joining BAI, said he is trying to get more players compete in the mixed doubles. “Never before mixed doubles was considered big but things have changed now because of the Olympics, now since there is a medal at stake. I am also trying to organise mixed doubles players. I am talking to players. You have to play both events.
“Ashwini is physically strong. Now I am telling her that she can play two events. It can help her to improve in different areas. But you have to be physically strong to play two events,” he added.
Talking about the juniors shuttlers, he said: “Juniors are completely different. Seniors have been playing so many tournaments. So it is about motivating them with positive thinking but with juniors we have to keep pushing them. Juniors have to do extra hard work.
“We have very good solid junior players. All under 19 or Under 17. We have to build them now. I am happy to work with the juniors and seniors. I hope that I can do something here for the Indian players.”
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