NEED MORE EXPOSURE FOR INDIA TO WIN OLY MEDALS IN DOUBLES: KIM

LUCKNOW: Chief national doubles coach Tan Kim Her believes Indian shuttlers are capable of not only qualifying in all the three doubles events but also win medals at 2020 Olympics if they are given more time and exposure at the international level. “We have to start planning for 2020 Olympics. It is not a one or two years plan, it is a four-year plan. So I have to think about the combinations and players available and have to consider a lot of things and develop a back-up for 2020 and 2024 Olympics,” Kim Her said on the sidelines of the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold tournament here. Elaborating his plan further, Kim Her said, “We have good facilities at the academy. We have enough support staff, it’s good there but what we need is more exposure for the players, some junior players need to play more events because if you don’t play you don’t know where you stand. I need a minimum of 10 international tournaments in a year for the junior players. My programme is for four years,” added the Malaysian, who have coached in South Korea for three years and was in England between 2005 and 2010. During his tenure as chief doubles coach, Indian mixed doubles pair of Sikki Reddy and Pranaav Jerry Chopra clinched two Grand Prix titles in Brazil and Russia and are currently ranked World No. 15, while Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy became the first Indian men’s doubles pair to qualify for the Rio Olympics.