Malaysian badminton legend Yap Kim Hock insists that veteran men doubles pair Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong has not lost their understanding and quality that once made them a formidable opponent.
Koo-Tan ended the recent Thailand Open Grand Prix (GP) as runners up after going down fighting against Indonesia’s Wahyu Nayaka Arya Pankaryanira-Ade Yusuf 22-20, 21-23, 16-20 in the final yesterday.
And according to Kim Hock, even though Koo came back from retirement, he still possess a mutual bond with partner Boon Heong.
“Although age has already catching up to both the players, they still have that same excellence within them. This will certainly give a challenge to the players under Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), especially to national top pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong,” he told Arena Metro.
Kien Keat and Boon Heong are now an independent pair outside of BAM, and although they failed to claim the Thailand Open title, their road to the final suggests that they are still capable of competing on an international level.
“We lost because there are still plenty of improvements to be done on and off the court, although this doesn’t lessen our self confidence, as we keep our heads held high and aim for the spot in Rio Olympics,” said Kien Keat.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
Hard to argue with a men doubles badminton legend like Yap Kim Hock, but it has to be said. Although Koo-Tan have been impressive since leaving BAM, they have also been inconsistent. There is no denying that age is playing a huge factor here, and it is time for other young players to step up. Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong are the perfect replacements, and they need to up their game in order to prove their worth before Koo-Tan snatch the opportunity away.
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