Kirsty Gilmour relishing new Scottish badminton coach arrival

Gilmour was hampered by a knee injury at the Rio Olympics

Kirsty Gilmour hopes the arrival of Tat Meng Wong as Scotland's new badminton coach will give her career fresh impetus on her return from injury.

Gilmour, 23, underwent surgery on a knee injury after failing to reach the last 16 at the Olympics in Rio.

"I'm really quite excited," she said of Wong's appointment. "It will be a nice starting point for me.

"I'm hoping to build my training back up in December and I think he is going to come across in January to start."

Wong, who has been women's singles coach to the Badminton Association of Malaysia, is known to the Scottish number one.

"I didn't really know that I knew Tat Meng Wong, but I do," Gilmour, who is 19 in the world rankings, told BBC Scotland.

"He coached against me in the final of the Belgian Open last year.

"He was not shy in pointing out what he thought I should work on.

"I lost to his player, so he knows what he's talking about."

Gilmour's injury means she will miss the Scottish Open Grand Prix, which starts on Wednesday at Glasgow's Emirates Arena.

She is disappointed to miss her home event for the first time since making her debut at the age of 15.

However, she explained that the operation was a necessity after picking up the injury at the Australian Open in May.

"My whole preparation for Rio was hampered by that," she said. "I couldn't prepare as perfectly as I would have hoped.

"With the physio team at UK Sport and GB Badminton, I managed to get on to the court in Rio and it was just about getting through that.

"I went on holiday and came back and tried to get back into training and it hadn't improved at all.

"I had the surgery and we are six weeks from that now and I am starting to get back on to the court.

"So to hit the ground running with a new fresh coach is going to be really important to me."