Koo Kien Keat
Koo Kien Keat is a Malaysian former professional badminton player. He succeeded in both men's and mixed doubles but is best known for his partnership with Tan Boon Heong with whom, he reached a career high ranking of world number 1.
Badminton career
In 2004, he played in the Thomas Cup with Chew Choon Eng. They gave a strong performance during the second doubles match against Flandy Limpele and Eng Hian of Indonesia in the quarter finals. However, after the tournament, the Badminton Association of Malaysia decided to partner him with Chan Chong Ming who previously partnered Choon Eng. Later, they won the bronze medal at the 2005 World Championships.In 2006, he started to play with Tan Boon Heong. Together, they won the gold medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games as an unseeded pair. En route to the finals, they defeated several top pairs including Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia. They are the youngest ever men's doubles pair to win an Asian Games gold medal at the age of 22 and 19 respectively. 2007 was the best year for Koo and Tan. They won several Super Series tournaments and climbed to the top of world rankings. They also won their first All England Super Series title after beating Chinese pair, Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng in straight games.
In 2009, the two won the bronze medal at the 2009 World Championships. At the 2010 BWF World Championships, the pair entered the semifinals after beating Korean rivals Lee Yong Dae and Jung Jae Sung. In the semifinals they defeated China's Guo Zhendong and Xu Chen 21-14, 21-18. Tan and Koo became the first Malaysian pair to enter a World Championship final in 13 years. In the finals, they played China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng but lost 21-18, 18-21, 14-21.
At the 2011 All England Super Series Premier, Boon Heong and Kien Keat defeated 2008 Olympic champions Markis Kido and Hendra Setiawan in the quarterfinals. They then defeated World champions Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng 21-11, 23-21. They lost to the Danes and then world number 1 Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen 21-15, 18-21, 18-21.
In 2012, they competed at the 2012 Olympics, reaching the semi-finals losing to the eventual gold medalists, and then losing in the bronze medal match to the Koreans.Koo Kien Keat#cite note-3|Koo Kien Keat#cite note-4| In 2013, they suffered a series of early round exits in 2013 and a three-year major title drought but managed to remain in the top 10 of the world rankings. In 2014,Koo parted with the Badminton Association of Malaysia and became a coach for the Granular Club of Thailand in early 2014. In August that year, Koo returned to play his last tournament with Tan at the 2014 BWF World Championships. Their supposedly last match together was in the third round where they lost to a Chinese Taipei pair with a score of 19-21 in the deciding game.
In 2015, Koo announced that he is coming out of retirement to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics with Tan before they call it quits for good. They were sponsored by Seri Mutiara Development Sdn Bhd and playing for an independent club. They achieved several breakthroughs this year, winning the Dutch Open and finishing as runners-up at the Thailand Open. They also made it to two Super Series quarterfinals in Australia and Korea.
In 2016, Koo and Tan managed to enter the top 15 of the world rankings. However, due to the new Olympic qualification requirement set by the BWF whereby each country can only send two representatives for each event only if they are both in the top 10 world rankings of their discipline and if they are not then only the highest ranked representative will contest, Koo and Tan narrowly failed to qualify for the Olympics. By the time the qualification period had ended, the two were ranked world number 14 just one rank behind compatriots Goh V Shem and Tan Wee Kiong who were selected instead and went on to win the silver medal. In November, Koo reannounce his retirement from professional badminton, citing the Hong Kong open as his last tournament.
Personal life
He began his studies at St. Michael's Institution in Ipoh, Perak. Later, he received an offer to go to Bukit Jalil Sports School, where he completed his secondary school studies and sat for the SPM examination. He married Audrey Tan Su Ven in 2013, and has a son, Dayson, who was born in 2014.Playing style
Koo Kien Keat moves very fast around the net areas and is adventurous with deceptive shots. He also reacts very well on fast flat exchanges. A favourite formation is when he is on the front court and his partner, the main smasher, attacks from the rear of the court with powerful, left-handed smashes.Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong are an explosive and dynamic pair in their game style.
In 2010, they won their first title of the year in their home, Malaysia, as the world number 1 pair. They came in seeded number 1 in the All England but lost in the first round to Denmark former world champions Lars Paaske and Jonas Rasmussen.
In the 2010 BWF World Championships they beat the young Chinese pair of Chai Biao & Zhang Nan in the quarter-finals and later their arch rivals, the South Koreans Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae, in 3 sets to reach the semi-finals. After that, they beat another Chinese pair of Guo Zhendong & Xu Chen to reach their first ever finals in world championship. The only other Malaysian pair to reach that far before them were Yap Kim Hock and Cheah Soon Kit.
Achievements
BWF World Championships
Men's Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2010 | Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Paris, France |  Tan Boon Heong |  Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 21–18, 18–21, 14–21 | Silver |
| 2009 | Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, India | Tan Boon Heong |  Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 21–16, 14–21, 20–22 | Bronze |
| 2005 | Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, United States | Chan Chong Ming |  Candra Wijaya Sigit Budiarto | 9–15, 11–15 | Bronze |
Mixed Doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2006 | Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad, Madrid, Spain | Wong Pei Tty |  Anthony Clark Donna Kellogg | 14–21, 12–21 | Bronze |
Commonwealth Games
Men's Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2010 | Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi, India | Tan Boon Heong | Anthony Clark Nathan Robertson | 21–19, 21–14 | Gold |
| 2006 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Chan Chong Ming | Choong Tan Fook Wong Choong Hann | 21–13, 21–14 | Gold |
Mixed Doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2010 | Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi, India | Chin Eei Hui | Nathan Robertson Jenny Wallwork | 22–20, 21–12 | Gold |
Asian Games
Men's Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2010 | Tianhe Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China | Tan Boon Heong | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 21–16, 24–26, 19–21 | Silver |
| 2006 | Aspire Hall 3, Doha, Qatar | Tan Boon Heong | Luluk Hadiyanto Alvent Yulianto | 21–13, 21–14 | Gold |
Asian Championships
Men's Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2008 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 21–16, 16–21, 18–21 | Bronze |
| 2007 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Tan Boon Heong | Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah | 14–21, 21–11, 12–21 | Silver |
Southeast Asian Games
Men's Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2009 | National Sports Complex, Vientiane, Laos | Tan Boon Heong | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 17–21, 17–21 | Silver |
| 2005 | PhilSports Arena, Metro Manila, Philippines | Chan Chong Ming | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 13–15, 13–15 | Bronze |
Mixed Doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2009 | National Sports Complex, Vientiane, Laos | Wong Pei Tty | Nova Widianto Lilyana Natsir | 15–21, 15–21 | Bronze |
| 2005 | PhilSports Arena, Metro Manila, Philippines | Wong Pei Tty | Anggun Nugroho Yunita Tetty | 9–15, 5–15 | Bronze |
World Junior Championships
Boys' Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Pretoria Showgrounds Pretoria, South Africa | Ong Soon Hock | Han Sang-hoon Park Sung-hwan | 15–7, 8–15, 4–15 | Bronze |
Asian Junior Championships
Boys' Doubles| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Ong Soon Hock | Han Sang-hoon Kim Dae-sung | 15–13, 15–13 | Gold |
Mixed Doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Kuala Lumpur Badminton Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Wong Wai See | Cao Chen Rong Lu | 4–11, 6–11 | Bronze |
BWF Superseries
The BWF Superseries has two level such as Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries features twelve tournaments around the world, which introduced since 2011, with successful players invited to the Superseries Finals held at the year end.Men's Doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2013 | French Open | Tan Boon Heong | Marcus Fernaldi Gideon Markis Kido | 16–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Hong Kong Open | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 16–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Denmark Open | Tan Boon Heong | Shin Baek-choel Yoo Yeon-seong | 21–19, 11–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Japan Open | Tan Boon Heong | Kim Gi-jung Kim Sa-rang | 16–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2011 | All England Open | Tan Boon Heong |  Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 21–15, 18–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Japan Open | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 21–18, 14–21, 12–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Swiss Open | Tan Boon Heong | Ko Sung-hyun Yoo Yeon-seong | 18–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Malaysia Open | Tan Boon Heong | Guo Zhendong Xu Chen | 21–15, 17–21, 21–16 | Winner |
| 2009 | China Open | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 13–21, 21–19, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2009 | French Open | Tan Boon Heong | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 21–15, 15–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2009 | Denmark Open | Tan Boon Heong | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 20–22, 21–14, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2009 | Swiss Open | Tan Boon Heong | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 21–14, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2008 | Super Series Masters Finals | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 21–18, 21–14 | Winner |
| 2007 | Denmark Open | Tan Boon Heong | Jens Eriksen Martin Lundgaard Hansen | 14–21, 21–14, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2007 | Swiss Open | Tan Boon Heong | Jens Eriksen Martin Lundgaard Hansen | 17–21, 21–16, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2007 | All England Open | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 21–15, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2007 | Malaysia Open | Tan Boon Heong |  Tony Gunawan Candra Wijaya | 21–15, 21–18 | Winner |
BWF Grand Prix
The BWF Grand Prix has two levels, the Grand Prix Gold and Grand Prix. It is a series of badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation since 2007. The World Badminton Grand Prix sanctioned by International Badminton Federation since 1983.Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2016 | Vietnam Open | Tan Boon Heong |  Lee Jhe-huei Lee Yang | 21–18, 14–21, 7–21 | Runner-up |
| 2016 | Malaysia Masters | Tan Boon Heong | Markus Fernaldi Gideon Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo | 21–18, 13–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2015 | Dutch Open | Tan Boon Heong |  Manu Attri B. Sumeeth Reddy | 21–15, 21–10 | Winner |
| 2015 | Thailand Open | Tan Boon Heong | Wahyu Nayaka Ade Yusuf | 22–20, 21–23, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2013 | Malaysia Masters | Tan Boon Heong | Goh V Shem Lim Khim Wah | 20–22, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Malaysia Masters | Tan Boon Heong | Chooi Kah Ming Ow Yao Han | 21–15, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2011 | Malaysia Masters | Tan Boon Heong | Alvent Yulianto Chandra Hendra Aprida Gunawan | 21–16, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2009 | Macau Open | Tan Boon Heong | Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah | 21–14, 17–21, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2009 | Malaysia Masters | Tan Boon Heong | Gan Teik Chai Tan Bin Shen | 21–11, 21–13 | Winner |
| 2008 | Macau Open | Tan Boon Heong | Fang Chieh-min Lee Sheng-mu | 21–16, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2007 | Macau Open | Tan Boon Heong | Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah | 21–18, 17–21, 23–21 | Winner |
| 2007 | Philippines Open | Tan Boon Heong | Guo Zhendong Xie Zhongbo | 21–8, 26–24 | Winner |
| 2006 | Japan Open | Tan Boon Heong | Tony Gunawan Candra Wijaya | 15–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2006 | Malaysia Open | Chan Chong Ming | Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari Lin Woon Fui | 14–21, 21–11, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2006 | Swiss Open | Chan Chong Ming | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 17–14, 8–15, 17–14 | Winner |
| 2005 | Denmark Open | Chan Chong Ming | Lars Paaske Jonas Rasmussen | 15–6, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2004 | Chinese Taipei Open | Chan Chong Ming | Hendra Aprida Gunawan Joko Riyadi | 6–15, 15–13, 15–6 | Winner |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2004 | Chinese Taipei Open | Wong Pei Tty | Muhammad Rizal Endang Nursugianti | 15–3, 15–5 | Winner |
| 2004 | Singapore Open | Wong Pei Tty | Nova Widianto Liliyana Natsir | 1–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
BWF International Challenge/Series
Men's Doubles| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2015 | Swiss International | Tan Boon Heong | Peter Briggs Tom Wolfenden | 18–21, 21–16, 21–16 | Winner |
| 2015 | White Nights | Tan Boon Heong | Marcus Ellis Chris Langridge | 21–10, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2015 | Sri Lanka International | Tan Boon Heong | Chooi Kah Ming Ow Yao Han | 21–19, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2004 | French International | Gan Teik Chai | Joachim Fischer Nielsen Jesper Larsen | 15–6, 17–15 | Winner |
| 2003 | Malaysia Satellite | Gan Teik Chai | Hong Chieng Hun Lin Woon Fui | 15–7, 17–16 | Winner |
Honours
Honours of Malaysia
- :
- * Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm