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Young star Kevin on steep learning curve
Kevin Sanjaya: (Tribun News)Young gun Kevin Sanjaya Sukamulyo may lack the experience of playing high-level tournaments, but his partnership with Greysia Polii at the 2014 BCA Indonesian Open badminton tournament shows he may be a force to be reckoned with in the future
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Kevin Sanjaya: (Tribun News) (Tribun News)
Kevin Sanjaya: (Tribun News)
Young gun Kevin Sanjaya Sukamulyo may lack the experience of playing high-level tournaments, but his partnership with Greysia Polii at the 2014 BCA Indonesian Open badminton tournament shows he may be a force to be reckoned with in the future.
The newly paired mixed doubles duo stunned 2012 London Olympic gold medalists Zhang Nan and Zao Yunlei from China in the opening round of the tournament by defeating the world number no. 1 mixed doubles pair, but their march was finally halted in the second round on Thursday.
Many were surprised at the decision of Indonesian officials to pair Kevin with Greysia for the first time in the tournament, where Kevin is also featuring in the men's doubles with Selvanus Geh, who is two years older than him.
Kevin, who was born in Banyuwangi, East Java, on Aug. 2, 1995, has been touted as 'having great potential' by Badminton Association of Indonesia (PBSI) head of development and achievement Rexy Mainaky.
However, the youngest shuttler in the tournament acknowledged his failure to manage his emotions in the second round when he and Greysia were beaten by South Korean mixed doubles pair Lee Yong Dae and Shin Seung Chan.
'I did not feel comfortable during the game. It's natural for every shuttler to be inconsistent in performance at certain times. However, I have learned that we should always try to reverse the situation and Yong Dae was successful in doing that,' he said.
Kevin, ranked 136th with Selvanus Geh, said he had learned many things from Greysia, especially tricks to maintain better emotions during every game. He praised Greysia for her calmness, even though the situation was full of pressure.
'Greysia never got mad at me when I made mistakes. Instead, she gave me support and suggested I be more calm. She always gave me good input and we have great communication,' he said.
The new experience of pairing with a senior had also pushed him to chase his partner's performance level, which he admitted was different to what he was used to as he was usually partnered with his equals, such as Selvanus Geh.
'I usually take a leadership position when I pair with partners of my age. However, my partner is more in control if he or she is my senior,' he said.
Kevin was a silver medalist in the mixed doubles at the 2013 World Junior Championship in Bangkok, as well as winning two bronze medals in the boys' doubles at the 2012 and 2013 Asian Junior Championship in Gimcheon, South Korea and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, respectively.
With Selvanus Geh as his partner in the men's doubles, Kevin said he did not plan to achieve a specific ranking this year, because he was prioritizing getting more experience, especially in Grand Prix Gold tournaments.
A fan of soccer and fishing, Kevin is eying victory in future world tournaments, such as the 2014 Yonex Open Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold on July 15-20, as well as the 2014 Russian Open Grand Prix on July 22-27, even though he did not yet know who would be his partner.
'I plan to win the tournaments, but I am currently still focusing on the BCA Indonesia Open. My improvement in the world ranking will automatically come after. One thing that I uphold in my life is to seize all opportunities and not waste them,' he said. (gda)
