Li Yongbo has stepped down as the head coach of China's badminton team, ending his 24-year coaching career for the badminton superpower, the Table Tennis and Badminton Management Center of the General Administration of Sports of China announced on Thursday.
Li was reassigned along with other coaching staff to an advisory panel with the Chinese Olympic Committee earlier this month.
Chinese badminton head coach Li Yongbo watches the men's singles badminton final at the Rio Olympics in Brazil on August 20, 2016. /VCG Photo
According to the announcement, 38-year-old Xia Xuanze and 39-year-old Zhang Jun, both former world champions and Olympic medalists, have been appointed coaches of the singles group and the doubles group respectively, with positions of the head coach and the deputy head coach of the national badminton team canceled.
Meanwhile, the national team has been reshuffled to consist of the first team, comprising top players who will focus on preparing for the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, and the second team, which includes members of the former second team and the youth team. Wang Wei, 38, former men's doubles player and assistant to Zhang in men's doubles, will coach the second team, where promising young players will be cultivated for the 2024 Olympics.
Chinese badminton singles coach Xia Xuanze watches a second-round match at the Badminton Asia Championships 2017 in Wuhan, Hubei Province in central China on April 27, 2017. /VCG Photo
Zhang Jun (L) and Gao Ling of China win gold in the mixed doubles badminton final at the Sydney Olympic Games, on September 21, 2000. /VCG Photo
Former deputy head coach Tian Bingyi and Zhong Bo will become consultants.
The changes are mainly aimed at better preparing for the Tokyo Olympic Games, the announcement said.
Li's 24-year coaching career
Born in September 1962, Li won a bronze medal in men's doubles at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and became a national team coach the following year. Over his 24-year coaching career, Li led the Chinese team into a world dominating power in badminton, winning 18 Olympic gold medals, 10 Sudirman Cup championships, nine Uber Cups and five Thomas Cup championships.
Gold medalist Chen Long (R) of China holds his medal as he poses with Chinese badminton head coach Li Yongbo following the men's singles badminton final for the Rio Olympics in Brazil on August 20, 2016. /VCG Photo
However, sometimes he "went a little too far" in pursuing gold medals and caused some controversies, a report by Xinhua News Agency said. In women's doubles at the 2012 London Olympics, China's former world No.1 Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli were disqualified by the Badminton World Federation for trying to lose deliberately in the final round of the group stage in a bid to secure a favorable draw in the knock-out stage, leading to harsh criticism on the Chinese badminton team led by Li.
The all-star team were a disappointment at the Rio Olympics last year, winning only two gold medals, the worst result for Chinese badminton since 2000, which was further evidence that Li's best days as a highly charismatic coach might be behind him.
According to a report by the Beijing Youth Daily, Li expressed his intention to step down as the head coach and focus on promoting the sport among young and amateur players after the Rio Games, amid unprecedented pressure in his coaching career.
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