Why is Tan Kim Her’s return important for Indian doubles badminton?

Tan Kim Her’s previous stint from 2015 to 2019 paved the way for Indian doubles badminton.

When the former world No. 1 doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, play Malaysia’s Teo Ee Yi and Ong Yew Sin in the Malaysia Open 2025 quarterfinals, there is a reunion with former mentor Tan Kim Her which carries added significance.

The Malaysian coach returned to the Indian badminton circuit in a morale boost following the departure of Matthias Bo following his quarter-final exit at the Paris Olympics in August.

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Tan’s previous stint from 2015 to 2019 paved the way for Indian doubles badminton. He saw raw talents like Satwik and Chirag and formed a partnership with them right from the beginning.

Through Tan’s acumen, the duo grew from still-peaking juniors to becoming one of the best contenders on the international circuit, giving birth to their current streak of fine performances around the world.

Tan’s return thus gains significance since Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy have been facing some difficulty with their tumble serve, among other chinks in their game, which were exposed during crucial points in matches.

Tan’s experience with doubles strategies, especially for setting defensive strategies, could help in the effort to fill those holes. Historically, their training methods have emphasized versatility – which appears to be essential for Satwik-Chirag, given that the pair lost to Chinese and Korean opponents in the 2024 Malaysia & India Open finals.

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What sets Tan apart is his proven track record of talent development. He not only focused on Satwik and Chirag in his former stint but also put a system into the making that bore several competent doubles combinations. Viewed in light of India’s targets for the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, this represents an ambitious vision.

Tan’s return thus intersects the Satwik-Chirag careers at a critical juncture. They had a bang in 2023, winning the Indonesia Open Super 1000, Korea Open, and Asian Championships.

But the duo surely will be fresh in want of tactical inputs to fortify their position at the top. Their recent French Open triumph showed their potential, but then consistency against the Asian pairs still eludes them.

Tan’s return suggests the Badminton Association of India thinks seriously about balancing the doubles concerned and focused on pitching “a larger group of doubles combinations capable of winning tournaments on the world stage” as a much longer-term vision than a date with immediate fortune.

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