Ntuthuko Maphumulo badminton
One of South Africa’s Cinderella sports, badminton, received a boost this week when Morten Frost, the most-capped Danish badminton player, was appointed director of performance and national team coach.
Frost represented Denmark 78 times and spent 12 years in the top three men’s single international rankings, with seven years as the undisputed world number one. He will oversee all development, coach and train provincial coaches, junior players and the elite national team.
Frost coached Denmark to Olympic gold in 1996, and in 1997 went on to coach Malaysia, whom he led to three gold and four silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in 1998. Frost said he looks forward to working in South Africa as it will be a challenge because it is a country where the sport is not yet as established as in other countries. In 1992 two players represented South Africa at the Olympics in Barcelona but last year badminton was not part of the Sydney Olympic team.
Larry Keys, president of Badminton South Africa, said his organisation was grateful to the National Olympic Committee of South Africa for making it possible to acquire one of the best and most respected coaches in the world. “Morten Frost will, without doubt, not only raise the standard of our elite players, but also have a positive influence throughout the organisation, including at grassroots development level.”
National development officer Wilson Makomene said: “Badminton is the least understood sport in the country and we have ensured that it has become mandatory for provincial sides to include people of colour. At junior level all provincial squads have players of colour participating.”
One of the first players to come out of the development programme was Michael Adams, who is now the national singles champion. Adams has been playing badminton for 12 years and has won the junior championships, under 21 and South African championships and is now playing in the national team.
Adams was happy about the appointment of Frost: “It is now going to be up to the players to win since they will have one of the best coaches in the world.”