# Koo Kien Keat

Koo Kien Keat AMN (Chinese: 古健傑; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kó͘ Kiān-kia̍t; born 18 September 1985) 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.

## 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, Koo's coach, Rexy Mainaky, decided to paired him with the hard-hitting left-hander 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 Superseries tournaments and climbed to the top of world rankings. They also won their first All England Superseries 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 Jung Jae-sung and Lee Yong-dae. 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.
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 Open 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 and 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 and Xu Chen to reach their first ever finals in World Championship. The only other Malaysian pair to reach that far before them were Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock.
At the 2011 All England Open, Koo and Tan 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 London Olympics, reaching the semi-finals losing to the eventual gold medalists, and then losing in the bronze medal match to the Koreans. 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 in Copenhagen, Denmark. 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 Superseries 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 send two representatives for each event only if they are both in the top 8 of the world rankings in 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 re-announced his retirement from professional badminton, citing the Hong Kong Open as his last tournament.

## Playing style

Koo 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.
Koo and Tan are an explosive and dynamic pair in their game style.

## Achievements
### BWF World Championships

Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2005 | Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, United States | Chan Chong Ming | Sigit Budiarto Candra Wijaya | 9–15, 11–15 | Bronze |
| 2009 | Gachibowli Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad, India | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 21–16, 14–21, 20–22 | Bronze |
| 2010 | Stade Pierre de Coubertin, Paris, France | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 21–18, 18–21, 14–21 | Silver |
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 |
| 2006 | Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia | Chan Chong Ming | Choong Tan Fook Wong Choong Hann | 21–13, 21–14 | Gold |
| 2010 | Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi, India | Tan Boon Heong | Anthony Clark Nathan Robertson | 21–19, 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 |
| 2006 | Aspire Hall 3, Doha, Qatar | Tan Boon Heong | Luluk Hadiyanto Alvent Yulianto | 21–13, 21–14 | Gold |
| 2010 | Tianhe Gymnasium, Guangzhou, China | Tan Boon Heong | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 21–16, 24–26, 19–21 | Silver |

### Asian Championships

Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2007 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Tan Boon Heong | Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah | 14–21, 21–11, 12–21 | Silver |
| 2008 | Bandaraya Stadium, Johor Bahru, Malaysia | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 21–16, 16–21, 18–21 | Bronze |

### Southeast Asian Games

Men's doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2005 | PhilSports Arena, Metro Manila, Philippines | Chan Chong Ming | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 13–15, 13–15 | Bronze |
| 2009 | Gym Hall 1, National Sports Complex, Vientiane, Laos | Tan Boon Heong | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 17–21, 17–21 | Silver |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Venue | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2005 | PhilSports Arena, Metro Manila, Philippines | Wong Pei Tty | Anggun Nugroho Yunita Tetty | 9–15, 5–15 | Bronze |
| 2009 | Gym Hall 1, National Sports Complex, Vientiane, Laos | Wong Pei Tty | Nova Widianto Liliyana Natsir | 15–21, 15–21 | 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, which was launched on 14 December 2006 and implemented in 2007, is a series of elite badminton tournaments, sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). BWF Superseries levels are Superseries and Superseries Premier. A season of Superseries consists of twelve tournaments around the world that have been introduced since 2011. Successful players are invited to the Superseries Finals, which are held at the end of each year.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2007 | Malaysia Open | Tan Boon Heong | Tony Gunawan Candra Wijaya | 21–15, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2007 | All England Open | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 21–15, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2007 | Swiss Open | Tan Boon Heong | Jens Eriksen Martin Lundgaard Hansen | 17–21, 21–16, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2007 | Denmark Open | Tan Boon Heong | Jens Eriksen Martin Lundgaard Hansen | 14–21, 21–14, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2008 | World Superseries Masters Finals | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 21–18, 21–14 | Winner |
| 2009 | Swiss Open | Tan Boon Heong | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 21–14, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2009 | Denmark Open | Tan Boon Heong | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 20–22, 21–14, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2009 | French Open | Tan Boon Heong | Markis Kido Hendra Setiawan | 21–15, 15–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2009 | China Open | Tan Boon Heong | Jung Jae-sung Lee Yong-dae | 13–21, 21–19, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Malaysia Open | Tan Boon Heong | Guo Zhendong Xu Chen | 21–15, 17–21, 21–16 | Winner |
| 2010 | Swiss Open | Tan Boon Heong | Ko Sung-hyun Yoo Yeon-seong | 18–21, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2010 | Japan Open | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 21–18, 14–21, 12–21 | Runner-up |
| 2011 | All England Open | Tan Boon Heong | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 21–15, 18–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Japan Open | Tan Boon Heong | Kim Gi-jung Kim Sa-rang | 16–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Denmark Open | Tan Boon Heong | Shin Baek-choel Yoo Yeon-seong | 21–19, 11–21, 19–21 | Runner-up |
| 2012 | Hong Kong Open | Tan Boon Heong | Cai Yun Fu Haifeng | 16–21, 17–21 | Runner-up |
| 2013 | French Open | Tan Boon Heong | Marcus Fernaldi Gideon Markis Kido | 16–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
    BWF Superseries Finals tournament
    BWF Superseries Premier tournament
    BWF Superseries tournament

### BWF Grand Prix

The BWF Grand Prix had two levels, the BWF Grand Prix and Grand Prix Gold. It was a series of badminton tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) which was held from 2007 to 2017. The World Badminton Grand Prix has been sanctioned by the International Badminton Federation from 1983 to 2006.
Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2004 | Chinese Taipei Open | Chan Chong Ming | Hendra Aprida Gunawan Joko Riyadi | 6–15, 15–13, 15–6 | Winner |
| 2005 | Denmark Open | Chan Chong Ming | Lars Paaske Jonas Rasmussen | 15–6, 15–7 | Winner |
| 2006 | Swiss Open | Chan Chong Ming | Mathias Boe Carsten Mogensen | 17–14, 8–15, 17–14 | Winner |
| 2006 | Malaysia Open | Chan Chong Ming | Mohd Fairuzizuan Tazari Lin Woon Fui | 14–21, 21–11, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2006 | Japan Open | Tan Boon Heong | Tony Gunawan Candra Wijaya | 15–21, 14–21 | Runner-up |
| 2007 | Philippines Open | Tan Boon Heong | Guo Zhendong Xie Zhongbo | 21–8, 26–24 | Winner |
| 2007 | Macau Open | Tan Boon Heong | Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah | 21–18, 17–21, 23–21 | Winner |
| 2008 | Macau Open | Tan Boon Heong | Fang Chieh-min Lee Sheng-mu | 21–16, 21–18 | Winner |
| 2009 | Malaysia Grand Prix Gold | Tan Boon Heong | Gan Teik Chai Tan Bin Shen | 21–11, 21–13 | Winner |
| 2009 | Macau Open | Tan Boon Heong | Choong Tan Fook Lee Wan Wah | 21–14, 17–21, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2011 | Malaysia Grand Prix Gold | Tan Boon Heong | Hendra Aprida Gunawan Alvent Yulianto | 21–16, 21–7 | Winner |
| 2012 | Malaysia Grand Prix Gold | Tan Boon Heong | Chooi Kah Ming Ow Yao Han | 21–15, 21–19 | Winner |
| 2013 | Malaysia Grand Prix Gold | Tan Boon Heong | Goh V Shem Lim Khim Wah | 20–22, 15–21 | Runner-up |
| 2015 | Thailand Open | Tan Boon Heong | Wahyu Nayaka Ade Yusuf | 22–20, 21–23, 16–21 | Runner-up |
| 2015 | Dutch Open | Tan Boon Heong | Manu Attri B. Sumeeth Reddy | 21–15, 21–10 | Winner |
| 2016 | Malaysia Masters | Tan Boon Heong | Marcus Fernaldi Gideon Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo | 21–18, 13–21, 18–21 | Runner-up |
| 2016 | Vietnam Open | Tan Boon Heong | Lee Jhe-huei Lee Yang | 21–18, 14–21, 7–21 | Runner-up |
Mixed doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2004 | Singapore Open | Wong Pei Tty | Nova Widianto Liliyana Natsir | 1–15, 4–15 | Runner-up |
| 2004 | Chinese Taipei Open | Wong Pei Tty | Muhammad Rijal Endang Nursugianti | 15–3, 15–5 | Winner |
    BWF Grand Prix Gold tournament
    BWF & IBF Grand Prix tournament

### BWF International Challenge/Series

Men's doubles
| Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponent | Score | Result |
| 2002 | Smiling Fish Satellite | Ong Soon Hock | Hendry Kurniawan Saputra Denny Setiawan | 2–7, 5–7, 5–7 | Runner-up |
| 2003 | Malaysia Satellite | Gan Teik Chai | Hong Chieng Hun Lin Woon Fui | 15–7, 17–16 | Winner |
| 2004 | French International | Gan Teik Chai | Joachim Fischer Nielsen Jesper Larsen | 15–6, 17–15 | Winner |
| 2015 | Sri Lanka International | Tan Boon Heong | Chooi Kah Ming Ow Yao Han | 21–19, 21–17 | Winner |
| 2015 | White Nights | Tan Boon Heong | Marcus Ellis Chris Langridge | 21–10, 21–12 | Winner |
| 2015 | Swiss International | Tan Boon Heong | Peter Briggs Tom Wolfenden | 18–21, 21–16, 21–16 | Winner |
    BWF International Challenge tournament
    BWF International Series tournament

## Honours
### Honours of Malaysia

* Malaysia :
** Member of the Order of the Defender of the Realm (A.M.N.) (2006)