KUALA LUMPUR: Head coach Park Joo-bong’s departure may not have had a major impact on Japan ace shuttler Kodai Naraoka’s development, but the guidance and wisdom of the South Korean legend will surely leave a lasting mark.
Joo-bong, who joined the Japanese national team after the 2004 Athens Olympics, will step down at the end of this month after not renewing his contract.
World No. 8 Naraoka was grateful for the invaluable guidance he received under Joo-bong’s mentorship during his time with the team.
Despite the change, Naraoka’s training system continued to train under his father, Hiroshi Naraoka.
“I got a lot of support from Park-san (Ju-bong) and I got a lot of advice from him and coach (Yusuke) Nakanishi,” said the 23-year-old Naraoka.
“Everything I learned from him was invaluable, so there is no specific advice. Going forward, I will do my best to apply that knowledge as I continue to train under my father.
Yesterday, Naraoka advanced to the quarterfinals of the Malaysia Open by defeating world number 14 Lin Chun-yin 21-14, 21-14. Accita Arena in Bukit Jalil
In the last eight today, Naraoka will face Hong Kong’s World No. 17 Angus Ng Ka Long, who fought hard after defeating France’s World No. 19 Thomas Junior Popov in another second-round match.
Naraoka is satisfied with his overall performance, but expects a more grounded approach to his goals.
“Today[yesterday]I felt calm and I was able to play well,” Naraoka said.
“As this is the first race of the year, I am not entirely sure about the results. However, as a challenger I want to give my best throughout the competition.