PETALING JAYA: Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong took part in a total of 14 international tournaments last year while Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif could have matched their team-mates if not for injuries.
However, it will be the other way round for the elite doubles pairs as their participation, especially in the Super Series events, will be scaled down in view of the major tournaments in store for them this year.
There are four major events this year – the Thomas Cup Finals in Kuala Lumpur in May, the World Championships in Paris in August, the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October and the Asian Games in Guangzhou in December.
Rosman Razak, who is taking charge of the doubles squad in the absence of Rexy Mainaky, who is on leave in Indonesia, said that the tasks were already listed for the year in a meeting with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) management recently and they hoped to strike in at least two of the four major tournaments.
“In view of the preparations for these four major events, we will cut down their participation in Super Series tournaments,” said Rosman.
“Koo-Tan attended 10 of the 12 Super Series events last year and it had an effect on their physical condition towards the end of the season.
“The elite pairs will probably be looking at not more than eight Super Series tournaments this year. We will go for quality instead of quantity as they also have to focus on the preparations for the more important meets.
“It does not affect their schedule for the Thomas Cup and World Championships because these are events organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“But we will not go for the European Super Series meets. The French Open is just one week away from the Asian Games.”
Kien Keat-Boon Heong will be defending their Asian Games men’s doubles title and will also be making a bid to win their first Commonwealth Games title together as a pair.