PETALING JAYA: You can never stop learning.
And former international Wong Tat Meng has himself gained a lot of experience in taking up the challenge as Lee Zii Jia’s coach and transformed the player in just 18 months.
The highlight was helping Zii Jia win a bronze medal at the Paris Olympic Games – a task that seemed quite impossible at the start as Zii Jia was low in confidence due to poor form.
Tat Meng said he too had to evolve as a coach to suit Zii Jia’s style of play.
“My challenge wasn’t just the 18 months outlined in the contract (July 2023 to December 2024), but the 14 months I had to dedicate fully to him, with the Olympic Games at the end of July 2024 in mind,” said Tat Meng.
“The goal was clear: to address his major weaknesses and help him overcome them in the shortest possible time.
“This required a specific plan with effective solutions to tackle his challenges head-on.
“One of the biggest hurdles was managing his physical health issues in the initial months.
“Fortunately, I had a team of highly supportive staff who made the process smoother and my job more manageable.”
So what’s the biggest lesson for Tat Meng?
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from this experience is that as a coach, you can never stop learning,” admitted Tat Meng.
“Some of my past approaches didn’t work with Zii Jia, so I had to constantly explore new strategies to improve his performance.
“This journey has truly been a test of adaptability and growth.”
The World Tour Finals in Hangzhou, China, starting tomorrow will be the duo’s last stint together.
Qualifying as one of the eight players for the Finals is also a huge accomplishment.
On his future plan, Tat Meng said: “It’s time to move on and I will look for a new project.”
