Kien Keat all fired up to turn on the magic for fans
News 9:48 AM
STRONG support from the fans has given doubles shuttler Koo Kien Keat an extra boost to turn on his magic again in the Thomas Cup Finals.
Yesterday, Kien Keat and the Malaysian team were buoyed by the overwhelming participation of fans all over the country in the “100Plus One Million Support” campaign.
The one-month long campaign ended yesterday with the Badminton Association of Malaysia's (BAM) patron, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, being the last one to put down her signature to complete the symbolic “all the best” mandate from the fans to the players.
Be brave: A dummy tiger head can be seen as Malaysian women's doubles players Woon Khe Wei (left) and Ng Hui Lin go through their paces at the Putra Stadium yesterday. The tiger, a symbol of bravery, is being used by the BAM to remind them to fight all the way “Thanks a million for the support,” said Kien Keat.
“We, the Malaysian team, know that there are more than one million people out there supporting us. This is really an inspiration to the team, knowing that all Malaysians are behind us.”
With the strong backing, the flamboyant Kien Keat is more than fired up to wow the spectators again รข€“ in his fourth appearance in the Finals.
He has never failed to amaze in team competitions and is always remembered for at least one outstanding performance in every Finals.
In his debut in Jakarta in 2004, Kien Keat was in awesome form in the scratch combination with Chew Choon Eng before they were beaten by Flandi Limpele-Eng Hian in the second doubles match to hand Indonesia a 3-1 win in a quarter-final tie.
In 2006 in Tokyo, he partnered Chan Chong Ming and they came back from a tight 28-30 defeat by Danish old hands Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen to win a pulsating 68-minute first doubles match 21-17, 28-30, 21-6. But their win was in vain as Malaysia lost the semi-final tie 2-3.
And two years ago in Jakarta, Kien Keat formed a scratch partnership with Choong Tan Fook to clinch a superb win over Shintaro Ikeda-Shuichi Sakamoto in the first doubles. And Malaysia went on to beat Japan 3-0 in the quarter-finals.
This time, Kien Keat is determined to come good with Tan Boon Heong.
“This is the best stage for Boon Heong and I to live up to expectation in the Finals. We were unable to strike it right at the last Finals. It was Boon Heong's first experience playing in a top partnership for the Finals and we did not hit it off as well as we had hoped for,” he said.
They were unable to win a point against Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng in the semi-final tie against China and Malaysia went on to lose 2-3.
“This is the second time that Boon Heong and I will be playing at first doubles. We are more experienced and matured,” said Kien Keat. “I have never won all my matches in the Finals but, this time, I hope to accomplish it with Boon Heong.”
Being the most senior doubles player in the team in the absence of veterans Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, the 24-year-old Kien Keat said that it was his responsibility to lead his team-mates.
“This is my fourth Finals and I do feel kind of old in the game. I will do my best to share my experiences with my team-mates,” he said.
In the company of an impressive line-up among the title contenders, Kien Keat is aware that it will not be a bed of roses for them.
Their counterparts in the other teams are Markis Kido-Hendra Gunawan (Indonesia), Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen (Chinan), Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Denmark) and Yoo Yeon-seong-Ko Sung-hyun (South Korea).
Malaysia are in Group B with Japan and Nigeria and Kien Keat-Boon Heong certainly cannot take Japan's world No. 13 Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata lightly.
“They are all on our radar as main challengers in this Finals. On paper, we are the favourites as the world No. 1 but we know that every match for us will be closely contested. We will give our best,” said Keat.
Yesterday, Kien Keat and the Malaysian team were buoyed by the overwhelming participation of fans all over the country in the “100Plus One Million Support” campaign.
The one-month long campaign ended yesterday with the Badminton Association of Malaysia's (BAM) patron, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, being the last one to put down her signature to complete the symbolic “all the best” mandate from the fans to the players.
Be brave: A dummy tiger head can be seen as Malaysian women's doubles players Woon Khe Wei (left) and Ng Hui Lin go through their paces at the Putra Stadium yesterday. The tiger, a symbol of bravery, is being used by the BAM to remind them to fight all the way “We, the Malaysian team, know that there are more than one million people out there supporting us. This is really an inspiration to the team, knowing that all Malaysians are behind us.”
With the strong backing, the flamboyant Kien Keat is more than fired up to wow the spectators again รข€“ in his fourth appearance in the Finals.
He has never failed to amaze in team competitions and is always remembered for at least one outstanding performance in every Finals.
In his debut in Jakarta in 2004, Kien Keat was in awesome form in the scratch combination with Chew Choon Eng before they were beaten by Flandi Limpele-Eng Hian in the second doubles match to hand Indonesia a 3-1 win in a quarter-final tie.
In 2006 in Tokyo, he partnered Chan Chong Ming and they came back from a tight 28-30 defeat by Danish old hands Jens Eriksen-Martin Lundgaard Hansen to win a pulsating 68-minute first doubles match 21-17, 28-30, 21-6. But their win was in vain as Malaysia lost the semi-final tie 2-3.
And two years ago in Jakarta, Kien Keat formed a scratch partnership with Choong Tan Fook to clinch a superb win over Shintaro Ikeda-Shuichi Sakamoto in the first doubles. And Malaysia went on to beat Japan 3-0 in the quarter-finals.
This time, Kien Keat is determined to come good with Tan Boon Heong.
“This is the best stage for Boon Heong and I to live up to expectation in the Finals. We were unable to strike it right at the last Finals. It was Boon Heong's first experience playing in a top partnership for the Finals and we did not hit it off as well as we had hoped for,” he said.
They were unable to win a point against Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng in the semi-final tie against China and Malaysia went on to lose 2-3.
“This is the second time that Boon Heong and I will be playing at first doubles. We are more experienced and matured,” said Kien Keat. “I have never won all my matches in the Finals but, this time, I hope to accomplish it with Boon Heong.”
Being the most senior doubles player in the team in the absence of veterans Tan Fook and Lee Wan Wah, the 24-year-old Kien Keat said that it was his responsibility to lead his team-mates.
“This is my fourth Finals and I do feel kind of old in the game. I will do my best to share my experiences with my team-mates,” he said.
In the company of an impressive line-up among the title contenders, Kien Keat is aware that it will not be a bed of roses for them.
Their counterparts in the other teams are Markis Kido-Hendra Gunawan (Indonesia), Guo Zhengdong-Xu Chen (Chinan), Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen (Denmark) and Yoo Yeon-seong-Ko Sung-hyun (South Korea).
Malaysia are in Group B with Japan and Nigeria and Kien Keat-Boon Heong certainly cannot take Japan's world No. 13 Hirokatsu Hashimoto-Noriyasu Hirata lightly.
“They are all on our radar as main challengers in this Finals. On paper, we are the favourites as the world No. 1 but we know that every match for us will be closely contested. We will give our best,” said Keat.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 9:48 AM.
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