Newly appointed men’s singles coach Harry Hartono is well aware of the high expectations that come with his role as he begins work to address the declining standards in Malaysia’s men’s singles department.
Harry officially reported for duty at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara yesterday, bringing with him a strong résumé. He previously served as an assistant coach with the Indonesian Badminton Association (PBSI), where he worked closely with Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Anthony Ginting and Asian champion Jonatan Christie.
Earlier in his career, Harry was also among the first coaches to recognise the potential of Chou Tien-chen, the 2022 world champion, during his time coaching at a high school in Taiwan between 2005 and 2010.
He sees his move to Malaysia as both a progression in his coaching journey and a significant challenge, with the men’s singles unit currently facing a difficult period.
“Yes, this is a challenge. As a coach, of course I want my players to succeed on the world stage. The goal is to become world number one and to win world championships,” said Harry.
His first training session with the national men’s singles squad, conducted under head coach Datuk Tey Seu Bock, left a positive impression, particularly in terms of the attitude shown by Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh.
“I can see they have strong fighting spirit and a good sense of responsibility towards their careers. Since they are already competing at the highest level, I believe they have a clear understanding of what is needed to further improve,” he said.
For now, Harry is focused on adapting to his new environment before taking on specific responsibilities within the squad.
“At the moment, I am still settling in. I think I will need about a month to properly assess the situation and conditions. After that, national director Kenneth Jonassen will decide how duties are distributed, including which players I will oversee. Right now, it is still an adaptation phase,” he explained.
Harry is one of several new appointments made by the Badminton Association of Malaysia. Yeoh Kay Bin reported for duty last week, while Mohd Zakry Latif, who will take charge of the women’s doubles squad, is expected to begin his role on Feb 20.
