Learn more about our team.

Meet Coach Jiva

Jivananthan Nair is the Founder and Performance Director of Asia Badminton Academy and Asia Badminton University, bringing over 25 years of coaching experience to the world of badminton. His expertise spans from grassroots development to coaching international players at the highest level, shaping the careers of numerous elite athletes.
Between 2006 and 2012, Jivananthan successfully completed over 80 international projects, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in badminton coaching. Fascinated by human performance, he began his journey in Sports Science, Sports, and Fitness, blending his academic knowledge with real-world coaching to revolutionize training methodologies in Malaysia and across Asia.
Renowned for conducting high-performance training camps and coach education programs, Jivananthan is a pioneer in integrating sports science with badminton coaching. His innovative approach has not only transformed athletes but has also inspired and educated the next generation of badminton coaches.
With an unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and athlete development, Jivananthan Nair continues to redefine badminton coaching, pushing the boundaries of performance and training across the global badminton landscape.

Meet Varun

Varun Kumar is a Strength and Conditioning coach, educator, and course designer who has dedicated his career to bridging sports science, coaching methodology, and human performance.

He has worked with some of the world’s top badminton athletes, including former World No. 1 and Olympian Srikanth Kidambi, and has served as a lecturer and professor of Strength and Conditioning across several leading universities across the world.

An alumnus of Harvard University, Varun combines academic rigour with years of hands-on experience developing high-performance training systems. His work spans elite sport, education, and applied research, unified by a deep commitment to understanding the human side of performance.

Through Asia Badminton University, Varun brings together his expertise in movement science, communication, and reflective coaching to help coaches evolve beyond technique to guide them to think, observe, and design training with greater clarity, purpose, and connection.