There have been many well-known players, coaches and other pros who have turned to commentating on television after retirement. There have been a few non-players as well, who have done a great job bringing the excitement of the game to the uninitiated. I would like to try and compile a list of commentators down the years, and what their relationship has been to badminton, and how they have done behind the mic.
Gill Clark. The gold standard by which all other commentators in badminton are measured. Simply the best. To borrow from Porches' tagline: there is no substitute. Her approach has always been to comment from the point of view of a coach, re tactics, weaknesses, etc. http://www.badmintoncentral.com/for...Cisms-the-Definitive-Gillian-Clark-Collection
Then there is John Burgess. Whose passionate and engaging style can wear a bit thin after a while, but he's the only one who can say "that's naughty, very naughty, but I like it".
I seem to recall a pro from Hong Kong (well, as far as I remember, they said he was an ex-national player or something) Kevin something-or-other, who did a duet on the mic with Burgess at the 2006 World Championships at Madrid. They appeared to get along quite well, and kinda complemented each other in a quirky way...
Who's that Danish guy that sits on occasionally with Gill on important matches that is mostly clueless when talking about player skill and technique?
Depends what matches you're reffering to? I've recognized several danes alongside Gill. Morten Frost Steen Pedersen Kenneth Jonassen Jim Laugesen
I watch so many matches and I don't remember which one. All the Danish guys sound the same to me unfortunately!
Is that Kevin Han? He's represented USA. Others behind the mic are Poul Erik Hoyer Larsen and Simon Archer to add to the list.
Jim Laugesen was the one who accompanied Gill clarke in Denmark open 2012 . I still remember. His analyses excellently. I never forget the way he talks about players. He starts from the strengths and later about weaknesses of the player. He also speaks about how the player need to play in order to tackle the opponent on court etc. I hope to see him more in future tournaments.
That must be him, then! A nice, laid-back style, allowing Burgess to go crazy. Why did he stop? I don't think PEH will be applying for the commentator's job for a while, now... What about commentators on the Chinese channels? I've often viewed matches on youtube where the CCTV commentators sounded so "into" the game and animated. I'm sure there must be some pretty well-known names there...