BAM decides Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong will spend more time in training sessions
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) decides that Men’s Doubles top shuttlers, Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, will spend more time in training sessions instead of competing in tournaments.
BAM officials including, James Selvaraj, Ng Chin Chai and Wong Ah Jit discussed the poor performance of Kien Keat and Boon Heong in a three-hour meeting and decided to cut short their participation in tournaments and let them work hard in training sessions.
After this decision of BAM, the World Number Seven, Kien Keat and Boon Heong, are expected to participate in only five or six tournaments before the 2012 Olympic Games, which is set to start in the last week of July.
Previously, BAM wanted them to break into top four positions in the world but the poor performance of the duo left the governing body with no choice but to force them to work hard in training sessions to overcome their weaknesses.
Now, the officials of BAM have realised that because of the poor form of shuttlers, it will not be possible for them to reach in the top four positions before Olympic Games.
That is why, they decided to put the seeding aside and elevate the skills of Kien Keat and Boon Heong to get better results in the mega event.
Chin Chai said, “Previously, our strategy was for Kien Keat-Boon Heong to be among the seeded pairs for the Olympics. But that now seems virtually impossible as they are not performing well so we have had to change our plans.”
He further added, “Right now our priority is to improve the physical side of their game so that they will have a fighting chance for an Olympic medal. To do that, we’re drastically reducing the number of tournaments they will be competing in from now until
July.”
Chin Chai also revealed the schedule of Kien Keat and Boon Heong by saying that they will compete in the Thomas Cup Qualifying Round in February. In March, the duo will participate in the All England Open Premier Super series.
In April, Kien Keat and Boon Heong will compete in the India Open Super Series. Their last event before Olympics will be Indonesia Open Premier Super Series, which will take place in Indonesia, in June.
Now, Kien Keat and Boon Heong will spend more time in training to get rid of their prolonged bad run at international level and to regain a winning form.
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