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On November 4, Danish media outlet TV2 reported that Denmark’s national badminton team head coach Jonathan submitted his resignation to the Danish Badminton Association in early September. Thomas Stavngaard will be promoted to head coach of Denmark’s national team, effective January 1, 2025, with Hans-Kristian Vittinghus taking on the role of men’s singles coach.
The 50-year-old Jonathan has served as coach of Denmark’s national team for 11 years, including 8 years as head coach, making him Denmark’s longest-serving and one of the most successful national team coaches. He led Viktor Axelsen to victory at the 2017 World Championships and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Axelsen then became an independent player and moved to Dubai. Jonathan also guided the Danish team to a historic victory in 2016 at the Thomas Cup in Kunshan, marking the first time Denmark claimed this prestigious men’s team title.
Thomas Stavngaard (right)
Fans may recall Thomas Stavngaard, known for his bald head, for his controversial actions during the 2022 Denmark Open. In that tournament, Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong defeated the Danish pair Mikkelsen and Hansen in a 2-1 match, where the Chinese pair faced nine service fouls. Following the second game, Chinese mixed doubles head coach Yang Ming approached the referee to protest, only to be shoved by the Danish coach—Thomas Stavngaard himself. The Danish badminton team later issued an apology to the Chinese team.
Hans-Kristian Vittinghus
In addition, the Danish Badminton Association has appointed Hans-Kristian Vittinghus as the men’s singles coach. Born in 1986, Vittinghus’s career highlights include winning team gold at the 2016 Thomas Cup. However, fans know him best as the “Diving Prince” or “Badminton’s Disciplinary Officer,” famous for his outspoken opinions.
Notable moments involving Vittinghus:
- In June 2022, he filed a complaint about a sideline judge allegedly dozing off during the Indonesian Masters.
- In 2018, he reported Liu Yuchen and three other Chinese men’s doubles players for match-fixing at the Fuzhou China Open, resulting in a three-month ban by the BWF.
- In 2022, he suggested replacing the current BWF tour with a new circuit.
- When Lee Zii Jia left the Badminton Association of Malaysia and faced a ban, Vittinghus voiced his support, stating: “Badminton is a joke.”
- In 2020, he criticized the BWF for labeling postponed matches as “good news,” calling it disrespectful to players.
- He complained that Lin Dan dragged out matches too long.
- He mocked Lee Chong Wei for being overly arrogant during matches.
Currently, Vittinghus coaches at the Hvidovre Badminton Club and serves as a consultant for the Polish National Training Center. However, he will only formally assume his new position on August 1, 2025.
Vittinghus is eager for his new role, sharing on his Instagram: “I trust in my abilities, and I believe I can guide the next generation of Denmark’s world-class men’s singles players while helping current players maintain their standards.”
