Chong Wei in the fight of his life

The national badminton hero is in Taiwan seeking treatment for a career-threatening disease.

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia’s badminton king Lee Chong Wei is undergoing treatment in Taiwan for a career-threatening disease.

The 35-year-old Chong Wei will be in Taiwan for two months.

He had suspected something was wrong after two back-to-back tournaments over the last one month – the Malaysian Open, where he won the title and the Indonesian Open in Jakarta (semi-finals).

The Malaysian superstar withdrew from the World Championships in Nanjing, China, which starts today and also the Asian Games in Indonesia from Aug 17-Sept 2.

It is learnt that the Malaysian is determined to battle the disease and return to court.

BAM president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria said they had given Chong Wei the space to make all arrangements for his treatment.

“As I said before, we respect Chong Wei’s privacy and has given him time to decide on whatever is needed to help him recover quickly,” said Norza.

“He needs the best treatment for his respiratory-related disorder and we will wait for the next few weeks before giving more updates on Chong Wei. For now, we just want him to focus on his recovery and get well,” he added.

In a statement released by Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) last week, public and the media have been asked to respect the privacy of Chong Wei and his family.

“We pray for his speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him back,” said the statement. In the same statement, the BAM informed that Chong Wei was unwell and was suffering from a respiratory related disorder. His doctor has advised him to rest and undergo treatment.