Badminton News: How to become a great athlete like Lee Chong Wei? Better ask Chong Wei himself. The answer? You have to keep your feet on the ground and know when to compromise.
Lee Chong Wei, arguably one of the best men’s singles players of the modern era, admits he’s far from perfect, but with team support and the right attitude, he overcame most , if not all of its chances.
After a 19-year career, the former world number one retired in 2019 after battling nose cancer.
Recently, at the unveiling of his Madame Tussauds wax statue, the 41-year-old said, “No one is perfect, not me, not my coach, not even BAM.”
“However, you have to know when to compromise. I had misunderstandings with my coach and BAM on several occasions but we always came to an agreement. I could never do it alone.”
The three-time Olympic silver medalist and four-time English champion advised the younger generation of Malaysian badminton players to stay strong and persevere when the going gets tough.
“Every top athlete needs a coach. I myself have traveled with a few different coaches,” he says.
“I was assigned to Misbun (Sidek), Li Mao, Rashid (Sidek), Tey Seu Bock and Hendrawan while at BAM. Each of them has played an important role in my career. I remember traveling around the United States and Canada with only one physiotherapist and coach Hendrawan after my doping case,” he said.
“I’ve never felt alone in tournaments before, but it was necessary because my ranking was so low. I needed to play in smaller tournaments to regain my ranking points. During my lows and highs , those people supported me. I couldn’t have been world No. 1 for seven years if it wasn’t for my coach and BAM,” Chong Wei added.
Since his retirement, Malaysia has yet to find anyone close to Lee Chong Wei’s standards.
Lee Zii Jia is currently Malaysia’s highest-ranked men’s singles player, but the 25-year-old left the national team last year to turn professional.
In November, the world number 4 player fired his former coach, Indra Wijaya, to pursue a solo career.
Besides Zii Jia, another Malaysian prospect is world number 28 Ng Tze Yong, whom Chong Wei hopes to qualify for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
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