National junior tennis player Koay Hao Seng can be the next Adam Malik of Malaysia if given the chance to train overseas and play in more international competitions.
International Tennis Federation (ITF) representative to the Asia-Oceania Zone Final Qualifying for the World Junior Team Competition (Boys) Ajay Pathak said the 13-year-old boy from Perlis had great potential to go far in tennis with proper guidance and coaching.
“I think the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) should give him the maximum opportunity by sending him to train at one of the tennis academies in Spain,” Ajay told The Borneo Post last Saturday.
“He can be the next Adam Malik of Malaysia. You don’t have many good players like Adam in Malaysia,” he added.
Ajay, also ITF Junior Committee member and Asian Tennis Federation Junior Committee chairman, said Koay was fortunate to have wealthy parents who can afford to send him overseas and sponsors can also come in to support him.
“I’m very impressed by his performance in the World Junior Team Competition final qualifying in Kuching this week and although Malaysia lost all but one of their matches, I think they have also shown improvement,” said Ajay.
This was because when compared to previous years, Malaysia used to lose 3-0 to their counterparts from the Asia-Oceania region but now they only lose 2-1.
“This is a team competition and to shine in the competition, all members must be good players. I believe Koay can do well if he plays in individual competitions.”
In the singles matches of the World Junior Team Competition final qualifying, Koay beat Philippines’ Eric Olivarez Jr 6-1, 6-1, Anthony Jackie Tang of Hong Kong 6-4, 7-6(5), Indonesian Bryan Husin 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and only lost 0-6, 3-6 to Australia’s Oliver Anderson and 5-7, 1-4 (retired) to Kareem Al-Allaf of Kazakhstan due to injury.
Koay scored a double triumph at the 2nd Penang Asian U14 Series Tennis Championship in March this year.
He beat Yu Hua Chen of Taiwan to clinch the Boys singles crown and partnered Sherwin Foo to beat compatriots Talhah Mohamad Rahizam and Sheikh Ameer Sheikh Ahmad 7-4, 6-5 for the boys doubles crown.
At the 3rd leg of the LTAM Sport Excel U14 Circuit in July last year, Koay won his first boys doubles title with Khairil Anas Abd Rahim.
