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Koo-Tan tambah dos latihan

KUALA LUMPUR - Sedar bahawa permainan mereka semakin merudum dan enggan masalah itu dibawa ke tahun baru, beregu utama negara, Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong mengambil inisiatif sendiri dengan menambah dos latihan sebaik kembali dari kejohanan Siri Super Masters Akhir, dua minggu lalu. 

Pasangan bermasalah itu menjalani latihan tambahan 30 minit daripada waktu kebiasaan, selain memulakan latihan lebih awal. Malah, pelbagai bentuk latihan tambahan yang akan dirangka bersama oleh jurulatih, Pang Cheh Chang, Tan Kim Her serta Yoo Yong Sung bakal menanti, termasuk latihan yang memerlukan mereka melompat di seluruh gelanggang.

Dengan Sukan Olimpik London hanya tinggal kurang lapan bulan untuk memulakan kempen dari 27 Julai hingga 12 Ogos, Boon Heong menegaskan, adalah mustahak untuk mereka mengetepikan segala kekecewaan dan memasuki tahun baru dengan fikiran yang positif.

"Dua tahun terakhir yang kami lalui tidak begitu bagus, saya dan Kien Keat juga tidak gembira dengan apa yang telah kami lakukan. Bagaimanapun, saya tidak boleh terlalu terbawa-bawa dengan kekecewaan itu kerana adalah penting untuk saya melangkah ke tahun baru dengan fikiran yang positif.

"Sebab itu, saya dan Kien Keat sendiri memikirkan inisiatif tentang melakukan latihan tambahan. Jurulatih selalu beritahu, mereka boleh sediakan macam-macam program dan rancangan buat kami tetapi pada akhirnya semua terpulang kepada diri kami sendiri,'' kata Boon Heong selepas tamat sesi latihan di Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara semalam.

Pemain berusia 24 tahun itu percaya, selepas menutup tirai 2011 dengan mengecewakan, gagal memenangi semua perlawanan peringkat kumpulan pada Siri Super Masters Akhir, dia, Kien Keat dan Cheh Chang telah mengadakan perbincangan hati ke hati, dan sejak itu nekadnya hanya satu, bangkit menutup buku lama.

"Sekarang, sasaran saya dan Kien Keat adalah mengembalikan prestasi kami dan cuba bermain dengan lebih konsisten. Tahun 2012 sangat mustahak, kita bukan saja ada Sukan Olimpik, malah Piala Thomas, jadi kami perlu mempunyai fokus yang tinggi.

"Sebagai permulaan, saya harap kami dapat mencari satu keputusan yang baik apabila beraksi di Terbuka Korea. Ia tidak mudah tetapi jika kami boleh melepasi halangan awal yang sukar, ia akan menjadi motivasi yang bagus,'' katanya lagi, yang hanya memenangi satu kejuaraan pada 2011 , Grand Prix Emas Terbuka Malaysia.

Pada Terbuka Korea 2012, kejohanan Siri Super Premier yang menawarkan AS$500,000 (RM1.6 juta), Kien Keat-Boon Heong dijangka bertemu pasangan utama tuan rumah yang menang 12 daripada 14 pertemuan mereka ke atas beregu negara, Lee Yong Dae-Jung Jae Sung di peringkat suku akhir.


Andai mara ke separuh akhir, beregu No. 3 dunia dan juara Siri Super Masters Akhir, Mathias Boe-Carsten Mogensen pula menanti di separuh akhir.

Pada Terbuka Malaysia yang berlangsung seminggu kemudian, pasangan No. 6 dunia itu berpotensi menentang beregu Korea yang menewaskan mereka dalam semua enam perlawanan terdahulu, Ko Sung Hyun-Yoo Yeon Seong pada separuh akhir.



Oleh Norzie Mohd. Khasbi
norzie.khasbi@utusan.com.my

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