London: The stark contrast between Asian and European training cultures has become a defining learning curve for former national mixed doubles player Tan Kian Meng since taking up a coaching role with Badminton Association of England (BAE).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kian Meng, who assumed the role as the doubles lead coach in England last October, said the differences have sparked a mission to find a winning formula that blends the best of both worlds. The 31-year-old said the shorter and less intense training structure in Europe presents a unique challenge in raising shuttlers' overall level.
'In Europe, the longest training session lasts for only about 90 minutes compared with Asia where players train from between two to three hours. I want to give players a training programme that is a little longer, maybe two or two hours plus. If too long training sessions without quality would not offer any benefit,' he told Bernama when met during the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals 2026, here.
Kian Meng believes slightly lengthening training sessions for his charges would help him to address a key issue which is consistency as it will become even more critical under the new 3x15 scoring system, which will take effect on January 4, 2027. 'Especially when you play 3x15 points, consistency is more important. You must be consistent first, then you must be fast. You cannot only be fast but not consistent, it is useless because 15 points is very quick. And if you are only consistent but not aggressive, also not enough. So you need to combine both,' he said.
In the meantime, he sees promise in England's young squad, most of whom are aged between 19 and 21, but stressed that mindset remains the key differentiator. On England's current strength, Tan Kian Meng said the newly-crowned European Championships men's doubles champion and world No. 12 Ben Lane-Sean Vendy remain the country's main pillars and among Europe's biggest threats to Asian dominance.
'So far, they are the only pair at that level. My target is to have more pairs breaking into the top 10 or top 20 by 2028,' he said. Having signed a contract until 2028, he hopes his project with England badminton team will bear fruits, particularly in building greater depth in the doubles department ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
On England's campaign in the Thomas Cup Finals 2026, Kian Meng believes there is still room for improvement after the team failed to reach the quarter-finals, following a 2-3 defeat to Malaysia and a 0-5 loss to Japan. Reflecting his transition from a player to coach, Kian Meng, who hung up his racquet following All England 2025 in Birmingham, admitted he is embracing the new role with a renewed sense of purpose.
'I certainly enjoy being a coach now. It's really different from being a player,' he said. Kian Meng, who had been a regular partner with Lai Pei Jing, previously won mixed doubles bronze in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and emerged as 2022 Korea Open champions. The Thomas Cup Finals 2026, which kicked off on April 24, will run until May 3.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency