Sarawak: National taekwondo exponent Chin Ken Haw is set to use the World Taekwondo Poomsae Championships in South Korea next month as a vital "testing ground" just a week before making his debut at the Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Sarawak-born athlete who will be competing in both Recognised Poomsae and Freestyle Poomsae views the world meet as the perfect rehearsal since he will be contesting the same categories in both major tournaments held back-to-back.
"For me, the World Championship is a preparation for the Asian Games. I don't want to just call it a warm-up, but it is a platform to test my routines. I'm playing both categories in the World Championship and then I will do the same at the Asian Games," he said when met recently.
Ken Haw explained that his path to the Asian Games was secured after Malaysia finished in the top eight at the qualification tournament in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, earning the country a slot before he successfully navigated an internal selection process.
The 2023 Cambodia SEA Games silver medalist remains confident about his chances after a stellar performance at the recent Austria Open where he clinched a gold medal in Freestyle and a silver in Recognised Poomsae.
Despite the dominance of world powerhouses like South Korea, the 22-year-old has devised a specific strategy to remain competitive by focusing on the artistic execution of his movements.
"For me I don't put the thought of medal in my head for now because I believe if I do my performance properly, I believe that my level is enough to get myself a medal. I just focus on making my performance as perfect as possible."
"In Freestyle, it is very difficult to beat the Koreans in terms of technical skills. While I might be slightly behind in skill difficulty, I plan to recover and win points through my presentation to ensure my overall score remains at their level," he said.
Meanwhile, national coach Yap Yih Tiing said the squad recently completed a rigorous 20-day intensive training stint in South Korea to refine Ken Haw's skills and routine tips from specialist coaches.
Yih Tiing noted that the World Championships scheduled for Sept 16 to 20 will serve as the final observation point to "fine-tune" Ken Haw's performance immediately before the taekwondo competition as the Asian Games commences.
The coach highlighted that the Asian Games has introduced a challenging format this year requiring exponents to perform both Recognised and Freestyle Poomsae starting from the very first round.
"They changed (the format). First time from the first round. Previously only final but we can say if he competes in the Recognised Poomsae in this Asian Games, he will be I think top three, top four," he said.