BAI on the hunt for doubles coach citing workload management for Boe

The decision of signing the second doubles coach came against the backdrop of the outstanding performance of the men’s doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty.

This is in addition to Mathias Boe, who has done some wonderful work in recent times, the BAI said. | Photo Credit: Instagram/Mathias Boe

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has initiated the process of bringing onboard a second doubles coach for the emerging pairs.

“We are in the process of hiring a second doubles coach. This is in addition to Mathias Boe, who has done some wonderful work in recent times,” said Sekhar Biswas, the BAI Vice-President.

Asked about former Russian doubles player Ivan Sozonov, who is reported to be a top contender for the role, Biswas said, “Yes, his name is being considered, but as of now, no name has been finalised. We have received plenty of applications for the role.”

Sozonov, a 33-year-old shuttler turned coach, is the winner of the 2016 All-England Open men’s doubles title. 

The decision of signing the second doubles coach came against the backdrop of the outstanding performance of the men’s doubles pairing of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. The world no. 5 pair, training under the watchful gaze of Boe, powered India to the historic Thomas Cup team title and then won the BWF World Championships bronze and the French Open Super 750 title, becoming the first Indian pair to achieve the feat. 

Gayatri Gopichand Pullela and Treesa Jolly | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Asked about the role of the new doubles coach, Biswas said, “We are hiring a new doubles coach to manage the workload of Boe, who is currently looking after all the doubles pairings. The new coach will work with the budding shuttlers and expand our talent base in doubles, while Boe will continue his work with Satwik-Chirag and other senior shuttlers.”

Besides Satwik-Chirag, India also has a promising men’s doubles pairing in Dhruv Kapila - M.R. Arjun, who won the Maharashtra International Challenge and managed a quarterfinal finish at the World Championships. Another pair Krishna Prasad Garga - Vishnuvardhan Goud is also in the thick of the action, making a number of semifinal finishes in International Challenge-level events.

The new coach will also be in charge of the women’s doubles pairing of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, who showed signs of improvement with a place on the podium at the Commonwealth Games (bronze), and a semifinal finish in the All-England Open.

Senior doubles specialist Ashwini Ponnappa has recently paired up with Sai Pratheek in mixed doubles and Tanisha Crasto in women’s doubles. Meanwhile, N. Sikki Reddy, Ponnappa’s former women’s doubles partner, has only been focusing on mixed doubles since she paired up with Rohan Kapoor.