Choong Hann relishing first home tourney as Hong Kong coach

KUALA LUMPUR: When the opportunity came knocking to coach in a foreign country for the first time, Wong Choong Hann grabbed it as he wanted to come out of his comfort zone.

Six months later, Choong Hann is enjoying his stint so far as the men’s singles coach for the Hong Kong national team.

The former Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) singles coaching director is currently back at home to guide his charges, Angus Ng Ka Long and Lee Cheuk Yiu in the Malaysian Open starting today at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.

“It feels good to be back home,” said the 46-year-old Choong Hann.

“I’m hoping for a positive outing in my first tournament at home as Hong Kong coach.

“Coaching outside of Malaysia so far has been a good experience for me.

“Sometimes, when the opportunity arises to push you out of your comfort zone, you need to be bold and try it out.

“Both Angus and Cheuk Yiu are experienced players on the international stage and have shown good commitment so far and are eager to learn more.”

Choong Hann’s main target this year is to help his charges qualify for the Paris Olympics.

“The race to qualify for the Olympics is heating up and I’m trying to get both to make the cut,” said Choong Hann.

“So far, they are improving in terms of skills and strategies but their performances are not stable yet.”

Cheuk Yiu and Angus, who are currently ranked No. 17 and 20 respectively, need to break into the top 16 before the Olympic qualifying period ends in April to earn spots in Paris.

In the Malaysian tourney, Cheuk Yiu will play Denmark’s Magnus Johannesen in the first round while Angus will take on Japan’s Kanta Tsuneyama.

All of them are in the same quarter as top seed and defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.