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BADMINTON: New approach for pair

LATEST GAMBLE: Mixed doubles training for Koo-Tan

Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong need to improve their court coverage.
Koo Kien Keat (left) and Tan Boon Heong need to improve their court coverage. 

MEN'S doubles coach Pang Cheh Chang has come up with another unusual method to turn around Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong's form by asking them to undergo mixed doubles training as part of their preparation for the London Olympics in July.

Cheh Chang's reason behind the questionable idea is to help Kien Keat and Boon Heong improve their court coverage and it has received the backing of the coaching and training committee chairman Ng Chin Chai.

National doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her said Cheh Chang, who has been in charge of the top duo since September, will continue with the revised programme until the Olympics.

"Cheh Chang wants to include mixed doubles training for Kien Keat and Boon Heong so that they can improve on their court coverage. Cheh Chang is in charge of Kien Keat-Boon Heong and he will be given all the support to try out any new ideas until the Olympics," said Kim Her.

"It would not be right for me to make any judgement on Chen Chang's efforts as he is fully responsible for the preparation and performance of Kien Keat-Boon Heong in the Olympics.

"Problems like lack of focus and low confidence are still troubling Kien Keat-Boon Heong and I leave it to Cheh Chang to come up with changes and ideas that can bear fruit in the Olympics.
"Kien Keat-Boon Heong also have one more tournament before the Olympics -- the Indonesia Open next month -- where their target of making the semi-final remains."

It remains to be seen how Kien Keat-Boon Heong can benefit from mixed doubles training as the event requires different skills and the intensity is very much lower compared to men's doubles.
The Indonesia Open on June 12-17 will provide an indication on how effective the new method is.

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