Tan Kim Her returns to India for second stint, set to work with Sat-Chi

Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her has returned to India for a second stint after being appointed as the doubles coach by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

Instrumental in pairing Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy during his first stint with India, Tan will focus on developing strong doubles partnerships and bench strength ahead of the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

After working with Japanese men’s doubles pairs since 2019, Tan returns to India to build on his proven success. Tan has already arrived in India and has begun his second spell with the team, joining the players in Hyderabad.

"I am very happy to be back in India and get a chance to work with Satwik-Chirag and also the young and talented group of doubles players who have the potential to follow on the path of Satwik-Chirag," Tan said in a release.

"I am looking forward to creating a bigger group of doubles combinations who can win tournaments at the world stage," he added further.

He will take over the reins from Denmark's Mathias Boe, who guided Satwik and Chirag to many highs, including attaining the world number 1 status, winning an Asian Games gold, and securing a World Championships bronze.

However, the pair faced heartbreaks in two Olympics — Tokyo and Paris.

"We had been looking for quality foreign coaches who could work with our current top players and also guide our next-generation players as we prepare for the 2028 Olympics," said BAI Secretary General Sanjay Mishra.

"Finding the right coach took time, but we were determined to bring in those who can continue the development of our badminton stars and also work with a bigger group of players and help build a strong pipeline of talent for the future," he said.

Earlier, the news of Tan coming back to India was dismissed by BAI as premature news but eventually Tan returned to India after a failed move in 2022.

He will be closely working with Satwik/Chirag who last recorded a semifinal finish at the China Masters last month.