DOING IT HIS OWN ‘WEI’
Former World No 1 wants to compete, but only when he is ready
FORMER World No 1 Lee Chong Wei is in no rush to return to competitive action. While admitting that it pains him to be a mere spectator, the 37-year-old, who was diagnosed with nose cancer last July, wants to make sure he is truly fit before making a return.
After reaching the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open last year, the three-time Olympic silver medallist was sidelined for months as he sought treatment in Taiwan.
Chong Wei returned to training in January but had to put his much-awaited comeback on hold twice (All England and Malaysia Open) after being advised by his doctor to not put his body under undue stress.
This does not bode well for the 12-time Malaysia Open champion who is determined to make a fifth Olympic appearance at next year’s Tokyo Games.
The Sudirman Cup in Nanning, China on May 19-26 seems to be
the perfect tournament for his return as it offers Olympic qualifying points, but Chong Wei has chosen to remain non-committal.
Chong Wei said: “I know everyone wants to know if I will be making a return at the Sudirman Cup but all I can say is I will need to return to full training first.
“The tournament is just around the corner, and I have a few more weeks to see how my body reacts to all the match play training. If I feel good, then I will inform the coaches and the BA of Malaysia that I am ready.
“I also know that head coach Misbun (Sidek) had spoken to the press about naming the strongest lineup and I agree with him. If I am not ready, I will pass on it to allow the younger players to go experience this world mixed team event,” said Chong Wei in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Chong Wei added that it has not been easy for him to stay away from the game for so long.
In fact, he made his way to the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil twice to catch some of the action at the recently-concluded Malaysia Open, including the all-China men’s singles final between fivetime world champion Lin Dan and reigning Olympic champion Chen Long.
“The burning desire to play is still in me, if I don’t love this sport, I would not have been there at the stadium.
“I have been with BAM for 19 years now, half of my life revolves around badminton, it’s in my blood.
“But what I had last year (nose cancer) is not a normal sprain. This is something beyond my control. It’s not like I can recover just like that and get back to top flight badminton.
“I have to look after my body and health. If it was a ‘kampung’ tournament or an exhibition match, then it’s fine but playing at the highest level is going to be hard.
“I watched how Lin Dan had to slog in four out of his five matches en route to winning the title on Sunday. He was forced to play in three games and the matches all lasted for more than an hour. At this age, we are going to struggle with fitness.
“I want to make sure I am at a 100 per cent before making a comeback. I rather not play if I cannot do that.
“I am also not keen on competing if I’m only going to play in the first or second round,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chong Wei pointed out that the men’s singles event has become unpredictable.
“It's anybody’s game right now. This week we saw Lin Dan playing Chen Long in the Malaysia Open final. Next week, it could be someone else in the Singapore Open.
“Anybody can win it, if they are on form on that day, that’s how I see it,” Chong Wei added.