Badminton Star Antonsen Fires Coach Over Betting Scandal
World No. 6 badminton player Anders Antonsen has terminated his contract with coach Joachim Persson after discovering that Persson placed bets on a badminton match.
“I have immediately terminated my contract with coach Joachim Persson,” Antonsen announced on Instagram on August 24. “I’ve tried to convey this message, but it hasn’t been easy.” Antonsen explained, “As a BWF athlete, you are obligated to report such behavior as soon as you become aware of it. Failure to do so would be a violation of the federation’s code of conduct.”
The Danish player stated that he is unaware of how long Persson had been gambling, but emphasized that the match Persson bet on did not involve him. Nonetheless, Antonsen stressed the severity of the situation, stating that the incident alone was sufficient grounds for terminating their contract.
Antonsen had hired Persson as his personal coach in 2022 after leaving the national team to pursue a professional career. At that time, Antonsen had been struggling with injuries and had dropped to 30th in the BWF rankings as of January 2023. Under Persson’s guidance, he regained his form, winning the Super 1000 Malaysia Open, the 2024 European Championships, and two Super 500 titles at the Korea Open and Indonesia Masters, climbing back up to world No. 3.
Despite these successes, Antonsen did not hesitate to sever ties with Persson to maintain the integrity and fairness of the sport. He anticipated that his decision would attract significant attention from the public and media, so he detailed the incident to avoid unnecessary speculation.
“Persson has been a major part of my life, and we’ve achieved many victories together,” Antonsen shared. “That’s why I’m extremely disappointed and saddened that this is how our relationship ends.”
Born in 1983, Persson is a former Danish badminton player who once ranked as high as No. 6 in the world. This latest scandal could bring further trouble for him, as he has previously been involved in a match-fixing controversy.
In March 2019, Persson was banned for 18 months for violating betting regulations. The ban was due to his “failure to report a match-fixing approach, lack of full cooperation with investigations, and not providing complete information to the BWF when officially requested.” At the time, Persson called the BWF’s decision “ridiculous.”
From the point of view Danish newspaper DR, Antonsen stated that he has said all that needs to be said on the matter and urged the media to remain calm. Meanwhile, Coach Persson has yet to comment on the situation.
The BWF responded to DR’s inquiry, confirming that it had received an official report regarding Persson. However, since the case is under investigation by the BWF’s integrity unit, the federation could not comment on any potential penalties or when a verdict would be announced.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Antonsen was eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing to Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia with scores of 17-21 and 15-21. He is currently competing in the Super 500 Korea Open, where he just defeated Hong Kong’s Chan Yin Chak 21-11, 21-8 in the round of 16.
However, the sudden split with Persson leaves Antonsen scrambling to find a replacement coach to quickly get his training back on track. “This is a very complicated situation,” Antonsen wrote on Instagram. “I will do my best to solve this problem and move forward as quickly as possible.”
The 1997-born player revealed that he accidentally discovered Persson betting on a badminton match, which violates regulations, especially while coaching an athlete participating in a BWF-sanctioned event. The incident reportedly occurred at the Japan Open from August 20 to 25, where Antonsen withdrew from the round of 16 against India’s Sathish Karunakaran due to health issues.
