KUALA LUMPUR: Head coach Park Joo-bong’s departure may not greatly affect the progress of Japan’s ace shuttler Kodai Naraoka, but the South Korean legend’s guidance and wisdom will undoubtedly leave a lasting mark.
Joo-bong, who joined the Japan national team after the 2004 Athens Olympics, will step down at the end of this month following the non-renewal of his contract.
World No. 8 Naraoka was grateful for the invaluable guidance he received during Joo-bong’s mentorship during his tenure with the team.
Despite the change, Naraoka’s training regime remains steady as he continues to train under his father, Hiroshi Naraoka.
“I’ve been greatly supported by Park-san (Joo-bong), and throughout my time with him and coach (Yousuke) Nakanishi, I’ve received a lot of valuable advice,” said the 23-year-old Naraoka.
“There’s not any specific advice that stands out because everything I learned from him has been invaluable. Moving forward, I’ll do my best to apply that knowledge as I continue training under my father.”
Yesterday, Naraoka booked his spot in the quarter-finals of the Malaysian Open with an impressive 21-14, 21-14 victory over world No. 14 Lin Chun-yi of Taiwan 21-14, 21-14 in the second round at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
In the last eight today, Naraoka will face Hong Kong’s world No. 17 Angus Ng Ka Long, who fought hard to beat France’s world No. 19 Toma Junior Popov in another second-round match.
Naraoka was satisfied with his overall performance, but he maintains a grounded approach to his goals.
“I felt calm today (yesterday) and was able to play well,” said Naraoka.
“Since this is the first tournament of the year, I’m not entirely sure about the outcome. However, as a challenger, I want to give my full effort throughout the tournament.”
