Koo and Tan go Batu Caves way for speed and power
Posted by valsus on July 21, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR: Top men’s doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong are doing the unusual as part of their preparation for the world championships.
And coach Pang Cheh Chang believes that this will do the trick for the duo to mount strong challenges in the tournament in Paris scheduled for Aug 23-29.
Twice last week, Kien Keat-Boon Heong together with another pair, Hoon Thien How-Ong Soon Hock, had to go up and down the 272 steps at Batu Caves.
Boon Heong will be playing in the mixed doubles for the first time when he gets into action with Chin Eei Hui at the Kedah Open, which begins tomorrow in Alor Setar.
But he will not be partnering Kien Keat for the men’s doubles. He renews his world junior championship winning partnership with Thien How while Kien Keat pair up with Soon Hock.
Cheh Chang, who has been in charge of the doubles shuttlers for a month now, said that he was thinking outside the box to get Kien Keat-Boon Heong to perform consistently well on the world stage.
“Kien Keat-Boon Heong have not dropped in standard since their breakthrough in 2006. But some of the other top pairs have done better than them by improving on their speed and power,” he said.
“Our pair have to work on these areas too in order to keep up with the others, especially those from China and South Korea.
“I have given deep thoughts on how to make them play faster on court. And to make it interesting, I am trying to bring in new ways of doing things. I am happy that they have been cooperative.
“We went to the Batu Caves twice last week. On each day, they climbed up and down the steps seven times. We are also giving a lot of emphasis on warming-up sessions prior to on-court training.
“Activities are geared towards improving their speed and power. They have great experience and skills but it has to be complemented with this. They have been playing as a pair for four years and we are trying to get them excited about the game all over again.”
Besides the Kedah Open, Kien Keat-Boon Heong will also be competing in the Taiwan Open from Aug 3-8. These will be the only two tournaments for Kien Keat-Boon Heong before they play in the world championships as the top seeds and much is expected of them.
