Koo and Tan has opportunity to become world No. 1

Koo and Tan has opportunity to become world No. 1
thestar online


PETALING JAYA: National number one Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong have an extra drive to win the men's doubles world title.
Success will see them claiming the status as the world number one for the first time. If they do so, the pair forged in October last year, will become the first men's pair to be ranked at number one in less than a year as partners.
The 20-year-old Boon Heong said that they were determined to dislodge China's Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng as number one.
“It will be great if we can achieve it by winning the world title for the first time. It will give us a place in the history books. We now have an extra motivation to go all out,” he said.
The Malaysians, who are now ranked at number two, have certainly taken the world of badminton by storm.
They are the first Malaysian pair to win gold in the Asian Games in 36 years in Doha last December and the first pair in 25 years to win claim the prestigious All-England title.
They were the first qualifiers to go all the way to win an Open title at the Malaysian Open in January. The other titles they have bagged are the Swiss Open and Philippines Open titles.

GO KOO and TAN..plus LCW,..MALAYSIA BOLEH!!!!

 

Best chance for Malaysian shuttlers to end 30-year drought

By RAJES PAUL
the staronline


PETALING JAYA: A historic home glory beckons for Malaysia in the World Championships, which begin today at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Having had the best preparation ever and enjoying home ground advantage, hopes are high national number one Lee Chong Wei and the top men' pair of Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong to end Malaysia's 30-year wait for success in the series inaugurated in 1977.
Malaysia have four men's singles players, the others are KLRC Bhd's Lee Tsuen Seng and Nusa Mahsuri's Hashim brothers Mohd Roslin and Mohd Hafiz.
And three-time Malaysian Open champion Chong Wei will spearhead the Malaysian charge to come good on home soil – as he had done several times before.
“This is the most important 'home' tournament for me. I am all ready – mentally and physically to go all the way to challenge for the title. The home support will drive us on to give our best,” said the second seed confidently.
“I am ready to face the top players. As I have said before, I want to give Malaysia a perfect gift for the 50th year of Merdeka.”
In Chong Wei's half of the draw are Dane Peter Gade-Christensen; Indonesians Sony Dwi Kuncoro and Simon Santoso; and China's Chen Jin and Chen Yu.
In the top half are top seed Lin Dan of China, Indonesian Taufik Hidayat, Chinese Bao Chunlai, Dane Kenneth Jonassen and Hafiz. And all eyes will be on a mouth-watering quarter-final match between defending champion Lin Dan and Olympic champion Taufik, the winner in 2005.
The chances of Malaysia seeing champions are brighter in the men's doubles.
National coach Rexy Mainaky hopes to see all four pairs –Kien Keat-Boon Heong, Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and Ong Soon Hock-Tan Bin Shen - in the semi-finals. But realistically, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are the ones with the best shots to win the title.
The duo proved to be reliable when they ended long title droughts for the country in the Doha Asian Games (36 years) and in the All-England (25 years in men's doubles).
Kien Keat-Boon Heong, who came out of a brief rut by winning the Philippines Open last month, are now back as one of the genuine title contenders together with top seeds Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China, Indonesians Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan, South Koreans Jung Jae-sung-Lee Yong-dae and the Indonesian-American combination of Candra Wijaya-Tony Gunawan.
Said Rexy yesterday: “I gave a day off to the doubles players today. They deserved it as they had worked hard.
“Some say that Malaysian players are not strong in the head to win a major tournament. But Koo and Tan have proven that wrong. I have faith on my players and now is their time to show that they can do it.”
National chief coach Yap Kim Hock hoped that there would be personal breakthroughs for the Malaysians in the championships.
“We want to see breakthroughs in all the departments. Although our hope is to see world champions, we will be happy if players in the team achieve their personal bests,” said Kim Hock.
The best Malaysian efforts in the series were four runner-ups finishes. Three of them are in the men's doubles through Razif Sidek-Jalani Sidek (1987, Beijing), Cheah Soon Kit-Soo Beng Kiang (1993, Birmingham) and Soon Kit-Kim Hock (1997, Glasgow). Wong Choong Hann was the men's singles runner-up in 2003 in Birmingham.