Hong Kong seek South Korea’s winning formula by appointing their mastermind
- Wong Tat Meng has already got down to business after inking deal until Paris Olympics to coach the city’s men’s players
- He led South Korea’s women back to the top, and the leading Hong Kong shuttlers are hoping for a similar effect
Hong Kong’s badminton players have a new secret weapon as they build towards the 2024 Olympics, after recruiting the coach behind South Korea’s recent success.
Wong Tat Meng, who has just left his post coaching South Korea’s women, has signed a two-year contract taking him through to the Olympics in Paris, and will focus on developing Hong Kong’s men’s singles players.
He signed off with South Korea in style by last month guiding them to their first Uber Cup crown in 12 years as they upset defending champions China.
But his attention is now firmly on Hong Kong’s top two men’s shuttlers, Angus Ng Ka-long and Lee Cheuk-yiu, who he began working with on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur as they prepare for next week’s Super 750 Malaysia Open.
“He has guided us for the last two days, and I found him to be an easy-going coach, easy to talk to, and he is putting together a training programme for us,” Ng said.
“I know he lifted the Korean singles to another level while he coached them, especially [world No 3] An Se-young. I hope he can give us some new ideas in training, and give me a lift.”