Skip to main content

Paulus tells it straight: I’m here to help you all

Listen up: National doubles coach Paulus Firman (right) briefing the men’s doubles players (from left) Tan Wee Kiong, Tan Boon Heong and Koo Kien Keat at the Juara Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — FAIHAN GHANI / The Star. Listen up: National doubles coach Paulus Firman (right) briefing the men’s doubles players (from left) Tan Wee Kiong, Tan Boon Heong and Koo Kien Keat at the Juara Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — FAIHAN GHANI / The Star.
 
PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles coach Paulus Firman has laid down the ground rules for the men’s doubles players.

The Indonesian, who arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday, quickly got down to work although he officially starts his duties after the Chinese New Year. He met all the players – world No. 2 Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong, world No. 10 Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong and the newly-formed pair of Mohd Lufti Zaim-Tan Wee Gieen – under his charge at the Juara Stadium in Kuala Lumpur yesterday
“It was just a formality, meeting the players before I officially start training them. The whole purpose was to inform them that I’m here to help them improve,” said Paulus.

“Of course, I also told them what I expected of them and that we need to work together as a team to achieve success.

“I believe the best working relationship between a coach and his players is communication. I’ll be having further discussions with the players, particularly Kien Keat-Boon Heong, over the next few days.

“Kien Keat-Boon Heong are top-class players and I need to find out just what is holding them back from producing the results,” added Paulus.

Doubles chief coach Tan Kim Her was pleased to see Paulus at the stadium.
“There shouldn’t be any communication problems between him and the players,” said Kim Her.
Earlier, South Korea coach Yoo Yong-sung struggled to communicate with the players and left in a huff after just five months into the job.

“This is Paulus’ first unofficial session with the players. There are no expectations on him yet,” said Kim Her.

“For now, he’s just trying to get a feel of things to get along with the players. Once he settles down, that’s when the real business begins.”

Kim Her, however, has already given Paulus his first assignment – to lead the team to the Indonesian Super League competition from Feb 3-9.
Paulus will leave for Jakarta on Saturday together with men’s singles coach Hendrawan.



THE STAR

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...
2 comments
Read more

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...
1 comment
Read more

Rajagobal Let Off The Hook

PETALING JAYA, April 24 (Bernama) -- National head coach Datuk K. Rajagobal was let off the hook by the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) Disciplinary Committee after finding no evidence that he had violated FAM's Article 88, as claimed. FAM Disciplinary Committee chairman Datuk Taufik Abdul Razak said the committee had decided not to charge Rajagobal after carefully analysing the video of the post-match press conference by the 56-year-old coach. "After listening to the recording of the post-match press conference, we decided to drop the charge against Rajagopal as he did not make such a statement. "Maybe his (Rajagobal) assessment and comments of the match was misconstrued by the media. There was no mention of the FAM policy throughout his comments," said Taufik after emerging from a three-hour Disciplinary Committee meeting at Wisma FAM in Kelana Jaya, here, Wednesday. Rajagobal who does not mince his words when asked to com...
4 comments
Read more