PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Tan Kean Wei (pic) has been watching replays of matches involving his idol Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Malaysian legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei to be better.
The 20-year-old hopes his extra effort will pay off after his disappointing outing at the Under-21 National Championships in Kuantan last week.
Kean Wei is looking for consistency again after struggling to build on his runner-up finish at the Slovenia Open in May.
Kean Wei suffered early exits at the Austrian Open and Phuket International Series before crashing out in the quarter-finals in Kuantan to Selangor’s Mohd Haziq Najib, who went on to win the title.
“I feel that sometimes during training, I lose focus. I need to make sure my focus is always at 100%,” said Kean Wei.
“Also, when I face different opponents, I need to change my mindset and think about the right way to play against them.
On his defeat in Kuantan, Kean Wei admitted it was disappointing as he had gone into the tournament as the top seed.
He also felt that Haziq had read his game well, leaving him unable to play at his best.
“I think my opponent already knew how I play and I could not do much. I also felt nervous and was not comfortable on court,” he added.
With six months left before the end of the 2026 season, Kean Wei hopes to return to the podium, this time as champion.
“If I can win an International Series or International Challenge title, that will be very good. I will try,” said Kean Wei.
