Hyderabad: Kim Ji Hyun who played a key role in helping PV Sindhu to win India’s first ever badminton World Championships gold medal on Aug 25, 2019, has resigned from her position as India’s women’s singles badminton coach on Monday citing personal reasons.
Kim rushed back to New Zealand two weeks ago as her husband was suffering a neuro stroke and Kim was reportedly needing 4 to 6 months to take care of her husband and help him to recover.
The 45-year-old from Busan was hired by Badminton Association of India (BAI) mid 2019, had made a huge impact in PV Sindhu’s success quickly, and the reigning World Champion who had acknowledged Kim time and again about the South Korean’s role in her success.
“It is unfortunate that Kim had to leave at this stage. I wish her husband a quick recovery,” said Sindhu.
“I had a good rapport with her and I know it will be a fresh start for me but it is something which is part of a sportsperson’s life. I will have to work harder and I am sure Gopi sir and the BAI will take care of everything,” added Sindhu.
Kim was part of the Korean women’s team that won gold in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.
Interestingly, Kim was India’s third foreign coach to have resigned without completing their tenure. Indonesian coach Mulyo Handoyo who had made a success on India’s men’s singles department, resigned abruptly in late 2017, while Malaysian coach Tan Kim Her also stepped down in March 2019 to join Nippon Badminton Association.
