Renewed interest in badminton, thanks to Chong Wei

PETALING JAYA: While Datuk Lee Chong Wei may not have brought back a gold medal from the London Olympics, his valiant efforts and never-say-die attitude have inspired many Malaysians to pick up their racquets.

Many badminton schools and societies have reported a surge in interest due to Lee’s spirited performance in London.

“Many of our students, who stopped attending classes because of exams, have returned during the Olympics period,” said Pro Badminton Academy (PBA) coach M. Sutheaswari.

“Chong Wei’s performance has sparked their interest,’’ she said.

Sutheaswari added that PBA had recently been receiving applications from adults requesting lessons, which had never happened before, as the academy focused on primary schoolchildren.

Asked if she thought this was because of Chong Wei’s silver medal performance, Sutheaswari replied with an empathic yes.

“The important thing was not him winning. It was that he played admirably, going into the final even with an injury,” she said.

Total Badminton Academy founder and coach Kwek Chiew Peng agreed that Chong Wei’s efforts had renewed interest in badminton.

More parents had been calling to enquire about enrolling their children for classes, he said, adding that he was expecting more members once the exam season was over.

Subang Jaya Badminton Club president Alvin Chai said requests for new membership had almost tripled since the Olympics began.

“Response has been so good that we are finding it difficult to accommodate new members,’’ he said.

Challenger Badminton Academy chief coach Liew Gavin said his academy had received 15 applications for badminton trials compared to the usual two to three.

“Chong Wei is an icon who has definitely moved the sport forward,” Liew said.