ALL THE WEI

BAM will support World No 1 as long as he wants to play

should do everything it can to provide for the 35-year-old World No 1 who still has a strong will to go on.

“I have said this before, that when it concerns Chong Wei, we will have to look at things in stages. This year, the main focus is the Sudirman Cup (May) and the World Championships in Glasgow (August). Any decision will be reviewed after these competitions.

“He has a strong will to continue playing, so I don’t think it’s right for us to push him towards retirement. If he can perform and still wants to play at the highest level, then we will encourage him and support him in every possible way,” said Al Amin, who was at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to welcome back Chong Wei from his All England triumph.

Al Amin’s comments came following Chong Wei’s announcement to defend his All England title next year despite earlier indications that he was going to call it a day after the world championships.

The BAM chief added that Chong Wei is an outstanding athlete and should be every athlete’s role model.

“We must try to understand how Chong Wei can still go on despite age catching up. Apart from his desire to succeed, his level of fitness and discipline is something we cannot ignore.

“For me, age is just a number when it comes to Chong Wei. If he is motivated, I don’t see why he can’t go on for a few more years.”