Koo Kien Keat says farewell in rubber game loss

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Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Ehong plays their last game in Copenhagen

Copenhagen: Goodbye, Kien Keat.

Koo Kien Keat, one of the most talented men’s doubles badminton players in badminton history played the final game of his illustrious career on Thursday afternoon. He and Tan Boon Heong went down in a hard-fought contest to Taiwan’s Lee Sheng Mu/Tsai Chia Hsin 21-14, 10-21, 19-21 in the last 16 of BWF World Championships.Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Ehong plays their last game in Copenhagen

Tan Boon Heong was disappointed after the loss.Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong will be remembered as one of the best men's doubles pair in badminton history

 

“We were able to close the gap after trailing 9-12 in the third set. However, I made some mistakes towards the end of the game, and I felt sad that I couldn’t end my last game with Koo on a winning note,” said Boon Heong.

 

After the match, Koo Kien Keat, 29, will retire from the game.

 

Koo is a badminton genius that has never fully utilized his own potential. He and Tan Boon Heong once took the badminton world by storm when they ended Malaysia’s 26-year wait by winning the 2006 Asian Games gold in Doha, won the 2007 Malaysian Open and the 2007 All-England in their first year of partnership. They were known with their explosive and dynamic game style, and were the hope for Malaysia badminton to win the Olympic & World championship.

 

However, Koo Kien Keat’s on and off court troubles such as his arrogance, partying life style, and weigh gain problems have seriously derailed his badminton career. The pair has not won any major tournament since the 2010 Malaysia Grand Prix Open title. Followed by a series of miserable failures since 2010, they were officially grounded after losing to China’s Chai Biao-Hong Wei in the opening round of Malaysian Open in January 2014. The pair was split up after Koo has decided to resign from the Malaysia national squad in February 2014, looking to continue his badminton career by joining Thailand’s Granular professional club.

 

BadmintonPlanet.com would like to wish Kien Keat and Boon Heong good luck for a bright and prosperous future.

 

Meanwhile, there were several major upsets in the fourth day of World Championships.

 

The defending World Champion Ratchanok Intanon of Thailand lost to Japan’s Minatsu Mitani 21-8, 12-21, 18-21, and Carolina Marin of Spain defeated third seed Wang Yihan of China 21-9 21-12 in the women’s singles event.

 

Women’s doubles second seed Christinna Pedersen-Kamilla Rytter Juhl of Denmark suffered a shocking 15-21, 19-21 defeat to Nitya Krishinda Maheswari-Greysia Polii of Indonesia.

 

The reigning Commonwealth Games champions Chris Adcock-Gabrielle Adcock of England went down to China’s Cheng Liu-Bao Yixin 15-21, 19-21 in mixed doubles.

 

Home favorite, Denmark’s men’s singles ace, Jan O Jorgensen conceded a walkover to Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei after sustaining knee injury.

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