Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong need to remain strong and determined, says coach Pang Cheh Chang
Malaysia’s national coach for Doubles Pang Cheh Chang said that country’s top Men’s Doubles shuttlers Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong need to remain mentally strong and determined to earn good result at the group stage.
Kien Keat and Boon Heong, who are positioned at number eight in the Men’s Doubles world placements, have been drawn in Group D at Olympics.
The Malaysian duo will play against the World Number One Chung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae of Korea, Shoji Sato-Naoki Kawamae of Japan and Tony Gunawan-Howard Bach of USA.
According to the coach the most important thing for Kien Keat and Boon Heong is that they should remain focused and should think only one thing instead of stuffing a lot of ideas of upcoming battles etc.
The passionate Kien Keat and Boon Heong have not been performing well for the last two years but both shuttlers are do not want to dwell in the past and are determined to live up to expectations by putting up strong show in the upcoming London Olympics.
While talking about the physical fitness and Olympic preparations of Kien Keat and Boon Heong, the coach said that they have done well.
Cheh Chang stated, “Their preparation has been good. They are physically fit and in top shape. The Bath stint was also good in the sense that we had simulation competition. But, of course, there is nothing like being a ‘real’ competition. I have emphasised
to them the need to stay calm at all times and to take things one step at a time.”
Kien Keat and Boon Heong have already defeated all three pairs on different occasions in the past and are capable of beating them again as they are in superb physical condition at the moment.
The coach further added, “Koo-Tan have beaten the three pairs before. My only concern is their mental state. If they remain strong and determined, then they can get through.”
However, finishing in the top two stages to qualify for the quarter-final is not an easy task and it depends of how Kien Keat and Boon Heong handle the pressure of mega event while playing against some of the best shuttlers in the world of badminton.
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