Christian gains weight to add power
National number one tennis player Christian Didier Chin has continued to train and made positive progress despite some limitations faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
KOTA KINABALU: National number one tennis player Christian Didier Chin has been making positive progress despite some limitations faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Sabahan in fact had kept himself fit since the start of Movement Control Order (MCO) on March 18 and now with some restrictions eased, he has stepped up his training programmes.
According to his father Christopher, his 19-year-old son had worked on building up his physique in order to add firepower to his game.
“During MCO, Christian had put on five kilogrammes after working on his physical to gain strength. He did this while also training on his short ball volley skills.
“He also does more specific training system on his baseline hittings, enhances his serves and volley capability, works on his backhand drive for more spins to improve his performance ability and to serve aces.
“He also works on his agility on the courts,” said Christopher when commenting on the progress made by Christian in the past three months.
Christopher also said that Christian had reverted to doublehanded backhand despite a successful switch to one-handed backhand last year.
“After intensive assessment of performance, Christian still performs higher quality on double backhanded skills.
“He has switched back 100 per cent to double-handed backhand now with the quality of high performance coaching by his personal international Iranian coach Saed Alirizad,” he said.
Christopher went on to say that Christian was likely to return to competitive competition next month.
“The local men’s tournaments will start in July 2020 and Christian will be heading back to Kuala Lumpur for further intensive training with his personal coach Saed to get ready for upcoming tournaments.
“The ITF/ATP tournaments will only resume in mid-August or early September this year but in the meantime, LTAM (Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia) is organising some local tournaments to kickstart the players after a three-month layoff from the tennis courts.
“This is to ensure the players get back to top level performance before participating in international tournaments,” he added.
That said, Christopher expressed his gratitude to Youth and Sports Minister Phoong Jin Zhe, Sabah Sports Council director Mohd Asneh Mohd Noor and Sabah Sports Board general manager Terrance Pudin for arranging a special training for Christian at the Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex tennis courts starting from the end of May up to now.
Meanwhile, it was not all about training for Christian in the last three months as he also took the opportunity to spend more quality time with his family here as well as enjoying some outdoor adventures.
“I get to spend more time with my family and also enjoy watersport, hiking and rafting... i did not get to do all these previously because I was always on the move.
“I also make the efforts to know more about the locals because I am a Sabahan.
“In the last three months, I had grown spiritually, to have more patience, perseverance, understanding, inner peace and most importantly, learning and understand the goals of my life,” he said.