KUALA LUMPUR: Former men’s doubles ace Choong Tan Fook failed to realise his dream by becoming a world champion and an Olympic gold medallist during his playing career.
Now, he hopes to fulfil that dream by coaching and producing major winners in badminton.
Tan Fook, who is now a member of Hong Kong national team coaching set-up, has a highly regarded mixed doubles pair in Tang Chun Man-Tse Ying Suet under his care and he will try to groom them into world beaters.
Chun Man-Ying Suet are going places, having achieved their career-best No. 2 ranking in the world last week, largely thanks to a series of notable results in the last nine months.
Chun Man-Ying Suet claimed their first ever Superseries title at the Denmark Open last October, finished runners-up at the Superseries Finals in Dubai (December) and captured the Malaysian Masters (January).
A humble Tan Fook refused to take credit for the success his charges have attained so far, not until they scale greater heights.
“I wouldn’t say I’m a successful coach yet ,” said Tan Fook, who used to be Malaysian top ranked pair with Lee Wan Wah.
Tan Fook left Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2010 and married former Olympic champion Zhang Jiewen of China and they have two children.
He resides in Hong Kong but travels to Guangzhou in China over the weekend to spend time with his family.
“I’m only successful if I produce Olympic champions, world No. 1s and world champions.
“My players have worked their way to this level and my task now is to get them to aim higher.
Chun Man-Ying Suet got their campaign off to a good start by beating Takuro Hoki-Koharu Yonemoto of Japan 21-16, 21-15 in the Celcom Axiata Malaysian Open at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
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