Short England stint opens doors for Kien Keat

The Star

21-04-2025

PETALING JAYA: It was a short stint but former doubles great Koo Kien Keat enjoyed every bit of the action as a guest coach with England.
And now two other countries are trying to engage Kien Keat's services under a similar approach.
The 39-year-old Kien Keat was full of praises after completing his one-month stint in March, which also saw him managing the doubles players during the All-England in Birmingham.
'It was a first for me and I found this system of having a guest coach quite good,' said Kien Keat, who won the All-England title with partner Tan Boon Heong at the 2007 edition.
'Two countries have communicated their intention of collaborating with me in a similar arrangement.
Kien Keat said the presence of legends as coaches albeit short stints would break the monotony of training.
'It also helps a player to vary his or her game and build the player as an all-rounder,' said Kien Keat.
'And I think it works best if a player had been under a same coach for a long time. The presence of another coach, though for a short while, can add value and excitement in his or her game.'
Kien Keat said building the trust of the players during the short time would also make all the difference.
'Without the trust, it will be difficult to transfer the knowledge. Three months probably would be ideal but one month is also good enough,' added Kien Keat, who currently works as an event organiser.