While many national sports associations are still thinking about the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) is already planning for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. 

With his success coaching Loh Kean Yew to winning Singapore’s historic men’s singles world champion title, and Yeo Jia Min’s qualification for the season-ending BWF World Tour Finals in 2021, Mr Kelvin Ho, 34, the present Singles Head Coach of the national team will assume the position of Head Coach (Singles) of the National Training Squad from 1 January 2025. The National Training Squad (NTS) will comprise young male and female badminton players drawn predominantly from the Junior Performance Programme (JPP). The programme is a dedicated pathway for young, talented shuttlers aiming to reach the top echelons of the sport. It focuses on identifying and nurturing players aged 12-17 years old with the potential to excel at the senior international level. There are currently 12 singles players in the NTS, inclusive of those in national service.

Excited with his new appointment, Mr Ho said: “I am honoured by this new role to groom the next generation of Olympians and world champions. It is a heavy mandate, but at the same time, a much-welcomed challenge. The fact that I have a good runway to the 2032 Olympics helps tremendously. I would have more time to refine the present system and improve the scouting of young players to join the National Training Squad, and who will ultimately aspire to be on the national team.”

Television viewers of BWF matches and audiences at the Singapore Badminton Open are all too familiar with Ho’s signature animated gesticulations, whether at change-overs or from the coach’s seat. Regarding his coaching philosophy, he shared: “Master the basics. Fortify the mind. Trust the system. I take time to know the athletes and build a strong personal rapport. I also believe it is important for the players to first master the basics and then focus on character building. This entails mental resilience such as having the confidence to be able to close out a game, and having the fortitude to come back from behind to win even though one is facing a handful of match points. Finally, players need to trust the system, and this includes trusting their coach, the sport scientists and the sport administrators. We are all one team.”

Loh Kean Yew said: “Kelvin’s redeployment is bittersweet. He’s been a fantastic mentor and coach since I was young, and I’ll miss his guidance. However, I understand and support the association’s long-term vision. He has a proven track record of developing successful athletes, not just in terms of skills, but also in character and discipline. While I’ll miss having him by my side, I know he’s the perfect person to inspire the next generation of players. I have no doubt they’ll benefit immensely from his guidance. We remain close, and I know he’ll be there for me if I need him.”

One of the fundamental objectives leading up to the 2032 Olympics is to widen the talent pool for the eventual scouting of high-performing national athletes through a focused conversion process. SBA will be providing more opportunities to further hone the skills of young badminton players, as well as improve their strength and physical conditioning. The focus will be on those who want to excel and play more competitively within the National School Games and at the national level, such as at the Singapore National Open. These young athletes are also expected to demonstrate strong performances at various domestic and international age-group competitions. SBA plans to develop a more transparent hierarchical pathway where players progress from the JPP to the NTS, and eventually to the national team.

At the same time, SBA is evaluating the restructuring its high performance framework. Potentially a new Technical Director (TD) will oversee five head coaches: Head Coach (Men’s Singles), Head Coach (Women’s Singles), Head Coach (Men’s Doubles) Paulus Firman, Head Coach (NTS Singles) Kelvin Ho and Head Coach (NTS Doubles) Pribadi Setia Atmaja. Instead of having one Singles Head Coach for the national team, a head coach each for men’s singles and women’s singles may be appointed to provide a more rigorous focus on each of these disciplines. SBA is in the process of appointing the TD, and is studying the feasibility of establishing these two singles head coach positions to be filled by marquee names.

President of SBA, Mr Lawrence Leow, 65, said: “SBA’s vision is to establish Singapore as one of the top badminton nations in the world. This requires us to consistently produce top players across all categories, and have multiple athletes ranked within the top-50 in the world. The coaching and organisational changes are just some of the plans in motion to get us there. We trust that Kelvin’s invaluable experience and expertise will be a tremendous asset to the next generation of players.” Denmark, which has a population of under 6 million, is comparable in size to Singapore. It has consistently produced top players in singles and doubles, and presently has players ranked in the top 25 in all five disciplines.