Armed with 40 years of experience playing badminton and numerous tournament medals, previous badminton world champion Halim Ho carries his knowledge and skills of the game to Westview’s courts in his first year as the badminton team’s coach.
“I know that Westview is skilled at helping teenagers grow into educated young adults who are passionate about certain subjects— in regards to both academics and sports,” Ho said. “I chose to coach at Westview because I want to be a part of this process and encourage students to enjoy badminton.”
Ho started playing badminton when he was 8 years old. When he was 12, he made a goal to become a world champion and fully committed himself to becoming a professional badminton player when he grew up.
He achieved his goal by joining Indonesia’s national team when he was 18. During his badminton career, he won many tournaments all over the world. In the Thomas Cup in 2002, Ho helped secure a win for Indonesia, marking Indonesia’s fifth win in a row.
“Thomas Cup is one of the most prestigious team events in the world,” he said. “This was a very big commitment and responsibility to be part of this team. It’s very important for our country because it represents that our country is united as a team.”
After moving to the United States in 2004, Ho represented Team USA at the Pan-American Games in 2011. He won silver medals in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles, ranking the United States second overall.
In all of these tournaments, Ho said that playing for his family and country motivated him the most to keep playing.
“I wanted to give something first for my family, for my mom, my dad, and also for my country,” he said. “[These people] keep encouraging me to give something to the country because I represent the country [when I play]. It’s an honor to give the best for my country, and that really motivates me.”
Ho’s devotion to badminton has been a constant throughout his life, and now, his passion for the game led him to coaching.
“I love this sport very much,” Ho said. “It’s my passion, [and] I love to teach the kids. While coaching, I want to give something; I want to teach the kids [badminton skills] at any level.”
Ho decided to start coaching the Westview badminton team because he said that it would help him gain more insight into the sport by helping teenagers improve their skills.
“I believe that we all learn something valuable with each new experience we have, so coaching a high school team for the first time will help me develop better skills as a coach in the sport I am most passionate about,” Ho said. “I’m certain that I will learn as much from the students as they learn from me.
This season, Ho said that he hopes for the members of the team to do their best and bond as a team while building their passion for the game.
“We are united; we are playing for the school,” he said. “[My goal] is to build trust between the coach and the player. With trust from good communication, the kids can maximize their performance not only for themselves but also for everybody on the team.”
