Mathias Boe comes for doubles duty, hired to help pairings take the next stride.

For taking the next step forward in Indian badminton’s doubles journey, the national association has roped in 2012 London Olympics silver medallist Mathias Boe as coach. The Dane, known for his tactical acumen, is expected to build upon the strides taken by Ashwini Ponnappa, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty on the international circuit, helping add nous to their games.

While the Tokyo Olympics and Huelva World Championships later in the year are immediate targets for India’s doubles pairings, Boe will go beyond mere shaping of stroke-play and skills honed by successive Indonesians, and plunge into court-craft to counter the top pairings of the world.

While discussions were on for a few weeks, Boe will also be expected to shepherd the next line of young doubles shuttlers to ensure there’s more than just two pairings on the top circuit. Propping up women’s doubles and ensuring Ashwini can achieve her stated goal of playing right into the Paris Games will also be high among his responsibilities.