Auckland Badminton Association (ABA) is very excited to announce the new direction we are taking with our High Performance Coaching Team, as we have been working on ideas to change or improve our program.

The Performance Squad will be renamed to the Wisden Squad. For ABA the highest priority for us, and our focus for our senior high performance players annually is Wisden, therefore renaming our squad reinforces this.  The Wisden Squad Coaching Team will consist of:

• Head Coach – Li Feng

• Singles Coaching Leader – Abby Sharma

• Doubles Coaching Leader – Laura Lin

• Support Coaches – Jonathan Curtin and Anush Pandian

Our Head Coach Li Feng is excited about the leading the new coaching group.  ABA would like to thank both coaches Chance Cheng and Henry Tam for their valuable contributions to our Performance Squad and look forward to them having an ongoing role when their schedules permit.

The Wisden Squad aims to provide the best optimal environment for players to achieve their potential, whether that is international success, national representation, or their personal best achievements.

Our primary goal is to place both of our teams in the Top 3 at the Wisden Cup in 2024 and develop a culture of continued success.

The Coaching Team will set the standards and clear expectations for our players for training and performance. This also includes communication and care of our players. The Singles and Doubles Coaching Leaders will meet with their respective players to listen to their wants and ensure we are aligned with their performance goals. 

We will be creating an open and unified environment where there is regular feedback and critical evaluation for continual improvement. With these measures in place for our collective success, we hope to see increased commitment from players and coaches, as they work together as a unit to grow and be better every week in respect for each other.

This is a start to our new journey. We accept there will be hurdles and setbacks, but as long as we commit and work hard to overcome these challenges, we will get closer to achieving success for our individual and team goals.

Hear what our Singles Coaching Leader Abby Sharma had to say on the new direction: 

• “I feel lucky and grateful to be able to give back to the sport that I have a lot of passion for. Hopefully, I will be able to bring in some positive culture and motivate the players more towards their training and performance."
• “My goal would be to work with the Singles players and help them improve on their weaknesses, build confidence and develop their strengths. Also, I will be providing 1-on-1’s if they need it and some mental training to help them get over the edge. Their overall development is the most important part for me as the Singles Coaching Leader.“

Our Doubles Coaching Leader Laura Lin gave us the following statement:

• “I’m grateful for having this opportunity. I hope that through this role, I can help our Doubles players learn and experience different training methods that will suit their needs. Although it may be difficult for them at first, I hope I can help them understand that, as long as they make some changes and break away from the traditional ways of badminton training in New Zealand. If they can do that, I believe they will grow substantially."
• “My goal as the Doubles Coaching Leader is to focus on helping players break through their own limits, whether it is technical, physical or tactical awareness. In fact, competing in tournaments is like playing mind games with your opponent. If you can find out what is the weakness of your opponent or predict their next move, then you will have a higher chance of winning the game. On the other hand, Doubles requires two people working together to win. Thus, it is important for players to learn to cooperate and encourage each other more in a positive manner.”

Returning to the badminton scene this year after a long absence, Anush Pandian recently assisted with coaching Auckland’s Under-19 team at the New Zealand Junior Team Championships 2023.

Jumping on board as the support coach for the Wisden Squad, Pandian expressed his thoughts on the matter:

• “It’s great to see the vision and goals that the association have for their high performance players, as well as their developing players (in the Wisden Squad). I think the new structure brings more personality to training sessions, which will develop athletes favourably."
• “My goal as a support coach is to help drive what Head Coach Li Feng and other coaching leaders are trying to achieve in their exercises or sessions. As a coaching syndicate, we want our Auckland athletes to achieve their potential whether it be nationally and/or internationally.”

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Article added: Tuesday 01 August 2023