Yvette Yun Luo admits she will face the biggest challenge of her impressive badminton career when she takes over as Scotland’s Head Coach in January. But the Chinese woman is confident she can help the players reach new heights.

Good enough to play for her country, Yun Luo then spent ten years coaching in Australia and the last eight working in England, specialising in women’s singles. 

The 46-year-old coached Tracey Hallam to victory at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006 and helped her reach the quarter-finals in the women’s singles at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.   

From next year, Yun Luo, who replaces long-serving Dan Travers, will be in charge of Badmintonscotland’s programme based at the National Centre at Scotstoun. Bulgaria’s Diana Koleva, who has been Junior High Performance Coach for five years, has a new role as national Development Coach and she will be responsible for identifying talent in kids from as young as seven years old. 

Among Yun Luo’s goals are to have at least one Scot in the GB team at the 2012 Olympics in London – Anne Gibson in Atlanta 1996 remains our only Olympian to date - and to target medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

Susan Egelstaff, the world No.37 who was an impressive winner of the Bank of Scotland International Championship in Glasgow last month, will be one Yun Luo’s charges targeting London 2012. 

“I first saw Susan when she played Tracey at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester in 2002 and I was impressed by her back then,” said the new coach. “She definitely has a lot of potential.”

While other top Scots such as Jillie Cooper, Emma Mason, Imogen Bamkier and Kieran Merrilees are based with the GB set-up at Milton Keynes, Yun Luo will have a bundle of young talent including 16-yearold Kirtsy Gilmour and doubles specialists Paul Van Rietvelde and Watson Briggs working day in and day out at Scotstoun.

She arrives with a reputation as a tough cookie, but demurs at the suggestion. “I don’t think I’m too tough, but I do set standards,” she said before going on to state that Scottish ‘sins’ such as eating chips and chocolate are permitted, but only in moderation.

“Players have to work hard, and they need to have will power,” she continued. “I want them to become fitter, faster and stronger.”

Leon Douglas, Scotland’s Performance Manager, regards Luo’s appointment as proof of Bamintonscotland’s ambition. “Yvette is at the height of her profession and we’re extremely happy to get her,” he said. 

“Her strength from our viewpoint is that she is professional about every aspect of player development and understands the whole package that makes a world-class athlete.

“Scots are notorious for their lack of self-belief, and she will help them understand the psychology of the sport and the importance of injury prevention, good nutrition, fitness and strength and conditioning.”

EB
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