Chinese badminton head coach Li Yongbo will step down from his position after 24 years while former world champion Xia Xuanze and former Olympic titlist Zhang Jun will take charge of singles and doubles respectively, the Table Tennis and Badminton Management Center of the General Administration of Sports of China officially announced here on Thursday.

 

中国体育总局乒乓球和羽毛球运动管理中心周四正式宣布，羽毛球国家队主教练李永波在执教24年后由前世界冠军夏煊泽和前奥运冠军保持者张军替代，二人分别担任单打、双打主教练。
 

 

Li was reassigned along with other coaching staff to an advisory¹ panel² with the Chinese Olympic Committee earlier this month, which will serve as the think tank for China's Olympic preparation in the areas of management, training, scientific research and healthcare.

 

The Chinese national badminton team will reshuffles its coaching crew before the 2017 Sudirman Cup in Australia, the head coach and deputy³ head coach posts will no longer exist, while Xia Xuanze and Zhang Jun will start to coach singles and doubles respectively. Former deputy head coach Tian Bingyi and Zhong Bo are to become consultants⁴.

 

Xia, 39, men's singles bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games and former men's singles coach for the Chinese team, becomes the coach in both men and women's singles, while Zhang Jun, 40, mixed doubles' gold medalist at both 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens Olympic Games and former men's doubles coach in the Chinese team, will be in charge of all doubles categories.

 

The Chinese national badminton team used to consist of the first team, the second team and the youth team while now it will only include first and second teams, as the youth team will be become part of the second team.

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