Chong Wei expected to return in two weeks

KUALA LUMPUR: National badminton champion, Datuk Lee Chong Wei will return to Malaysia in two weeks and will be in action again after a month if his health permits.

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretarygeneral, Datuk Ng Chin Chai said Chong Wei’s treatment on a respiratory problem in Taiwan is expected to be completed next week.

“In two weeks, he will return to Malaysia and after that he will be on leave for a month. If he is fine, he will return to training as usual, depending on the doctor’s advice,” he said after a special BAM Council meeting at Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara.

The 35-year-old badminton ace withdrew from the World Championship in Nanjing, China and also the Asian Games in Indonesia following a breathing ailment.

Meanwhile BAM president Datuk Seri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said Chong Wei is a consistent player, without Chong Wei in the national squad, the country’s badminton performance has suffered a setback.

He said to have a player like Chong Wei, BAM needed long time to train the player from young.

“BAM has been talking about the plan to get a successor for Chong Wei. He is always consistent in achieve major titles. What we need to do today is to look at the overall picture on how we could bring our players to a higher level.

“It may not be up to Chong Wei’s level straight away but in stages. We need to build excellent players from the start and ensure they have the exposure. For the time being, we have to depend on our senior players,” he said.

In another development, he said BAM is still in the process of short-listing candidates for the coaching director post to handle the entire badminton squad from coaches to players full-time.

Mohamad Norza said for the time being, BAM has just completed the terms and conditions for the post.

Among the candidates in BAM’s list for the post is Indonesian badminton legend, Rexy Mainaky who is now serving as performance director with the Thai badminton squad.

Rexy who had served BAM as men’s doubles chief coach for seven years before the relation ended in 2012.

“It’s true Rexy is in the shortlist but we have yet to contact him on the matter,” he said.

BAM however declined to reveal other candidates shortlisted as the matter needed to be discussed with the National Sports Institute (ISN) and the National Sports Council (MSN). - Bernama