Lee Young Suk puts things behind her

Although considered one of the most talented women players of the late 1980s, with exceptional speed around the court and power, Lee Young Suk never quite lived up to expectations.

The runner-up at the All-England to Gu Jiaming in 1988, she won the 1990 Indonesia Open, beating Susy Susanti in the final, and several other titles, but never took any of the sport's major crowns.

Retired from competitive play in the mid-1990s, she is now head coach at the Lee Jae Bok International Badminton Academy (LIBA) in Northampton, England.

Although Lee was unlucky to be playing at the same time as world beaters such as China's Li Lingwei, Tan Jiuhong and Susy, some, including the Indonesian, believe the dramatic loss in the Sudirman Cup probably had a lasting effect on her career.

For her part, Lee prefers not to talk publicly about a match she lost 16 years ago.

Through fellow Korean Lee Jae Bok, Lee said she did not want to comment, "because she is no longer part of (competitive) badminton ... But she wants people to know she is OK".

Lee Jae Bok was also guarded in his own comments about what happened in Senayan. "I wasn't there, but everybody who saw it tells me it was one of the most dramatic, memorable matches," he told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview from his base in England.

He noted that Korean coaching practices were tough in all sports.

"Athletes learn to say 'I will do it', not 'I will do my best'. Doing your best is too comfortable, too easy to say. You just take care of what is expected of you."

From reports of students in England, the highly regarded Lee Young Sook is not from the tough taskmaster school of coaching.

"She is brilliant. She keeps a smiling face and encourages us to work hard," one student wrote on www.badmintonforum.com after a LIBA workshop in July 2004.

"Lee concentrates on getting things right and she concentrates on pushing us to our limits or even further, and at the same time checks whether we get things right ...

"After every practice session she compliments us with 'Well done' with a great smile and cheerful clap. You just feel like you want to practice more. It is so encouraging."

-- Bruce Emond