KUALA LUMPUR: Newly appointed Kenneth Jonassen is thrilled at the prospect of working with the BA of Malaysia (BAM) and its coaching director, Rexy Mainaky, as he begins a new chapter in his coaching career on Jan 4.
The Dane expressed his excitement in a brief yet meaningful response to Timesport after being officially announced as the national singles head coach by BAM on Saturday.
"I am very excited to be here as part of a great team and association (BAM), and I can't wait to get started in January," Jonassen told Timesport today.
He added that he will elaborate on his plans and objectives during a press conference at the Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara tomorrow (Nov 25).
Jonassen, 50, is now in Shenzhen, completing his final assignment as the Denmark head coach.
The former world No. 2 joined Badminton Denmark as singles head coach in 2013 and previously served as England's head coach for two years.
Meanwhile, Rexy is eager for the arrival of his former coaching rival, as they aim to prepare a programme capable of delivering Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Rexy also revealed that Jonassen was among BAM's top candidates for the singles head coach role.
"Jonassen was on our radar since May. Initially, we weren't sure about his future plans as his contract with Denmark runs until the end of this year," explained Rexy.
"Once Jonassen announced he wouldn't seek an extension in Denmark, we initiated discussions and secured his services.
"We had close to nine candidates, but we believed Jonassen was the best fit to elevate our men's and women's singles squads."