THE nation expects much from him and partner Tan Boon Heong but Koo Kien Keat, at the risk of being branded selfish, is more focused on his own interests in next month's Beijing Olympics.

The pressure of a nation's expectations has seen many athletes caving in and Kien Keat doesn't want this to happen to him.

By Kien Keat's reckoning, any athlete who focuses on satisfying the needs of others is bound to fail and this has always been his approach.

"I must put my goals first and people may say I'm selfish but I'm not too bothered about that. If I can win the gold (with Boon Heong), it will be a Malaysian victory and I don't see a problem with my approach," said a frank Kien Keat.

"There is no way I can achieve success at a major event like the Olympics if I don't put my interests first and fight for glory.
"After having endured so much of criticism on my character and attitude, I am able to swallow whatever is thrown at me.

"My approach will also be to reduce the pressure on both of us. The most important thing is the end result, which is winning the gold and I need to trust my own methods to achieve that."

Kien Keat and Boon Heong's task will not be easy as they will not be seeded in the Olympics and this means they must be prepared to face one of the top four seeds if they survive until the quarter-finals.

Since pairs from the same nations are separated, Kien Keat-Boon Heong are sure to avoid Choong Tan Fook-Lee Wan Wah but they will have to contend with either World No 1 Markis Kido-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia, World No 2 Jung Jae Sung-Lee Yong Dae or World No 3 Cai Yun-Fu Haifeng of China in the last eight.

It will be a daunting task if their current form in tournaments is anything to go by but Kien Keat is optimistic the gold is within reach if he is allowed to follow his own methods.