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Newly-retired elite badminton athlete Wang Chen continues her contribution to Hong Kong badminton standards in a new role as badminton coach of the Hong Kong Sports Institute (HKSI). 

Dr Trisha Leahy, Chief Executive of the HKSI said, “We are very happy that Wang Chen has decided to stay on in the Hong Kong team as a badminton coach.  Her long experience in the sport will bring a fresh injection of top-level skills which we believe will significantly enhance the athletes’ preparations to compete for the podium in future major games.”

Wang’s appointment is a result of the additional Government funding of about HK$6 million allocated to the HKSI each year to strengthen training programmes for four priority target sports, namely badminton, cycling, table tennis and windsurfing, with a view to improving Hong Kong’s performance at the 2012 Olympics. 

Wang is also excited for the new challenges ahead.  “I am extremely lucky to be offered this invaluable chance to contribute to the sport and the team which I love very much, I will definitely try my best,” said Wang.  In fact, Wang has been planning and preparing for this change for some time. Through the Hong Kong Bank Foundation Elite Athletes Support Scheme in Coach Education (EASS), Wang completed the Sports-General Theory (Part A) Course of the Hong Kong Coach Accreditation Programme (HKCAP) at Level 2 and became an accredited coach after passing the examination in February.

Dr Tong Yun-kai, President of the Hong Kong Badminton Association welcomed Wang’s move and said, “We are delighted to see Wang Chen successfully make the transition to the next phase of her career. We fully support her decision and believe she can bring a new chemistry and synergy to the team”.