Skip to main content

Chong Wei aims to go out with a bang

LEE Chong Wei has revealed that he plans to retire after 2012, but more than that he wants to go out with the World and Olympic titles in his bag.
"I want to achieve what no Malaysian has achieved before in the sport, which is to win the World and Olympic titles," said Chong Wei after the Maxis Berhad sponsorship ceremony at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"It is not an impossible dream. It will be a very difficult time from now till 2012 but I am focused in winning titles for the country."

The World No 1 added: "I have another three chances to win the World Championship but only one opportunity in the Olympic Games.

"This is why I have to be in my best form for the 2012 London Olympics. It will be my toughest challenge.

"My other dream is to end my career as the World No 1 player. I have been the World No 1 since 2008 and I hope to maintain my ranking till 2012.
China’s Lin Dan is expected to face Chong Wei for the first time this year at the All England.
China’s Lin Dan is expected to face Chong Wei for the first time this year at the All England.
"However, it is also important that I win major titles from now on. I am close to the end of my playing career and I don't want to have any regrets after I retire like not winning a single major title despite being the World No 1."



On his plans after retiring, Chong Wei said he has not decided but one possibility is he may open a badminton academy for youngsters.

"I have not given much thought to what I will do when I retire. I will think about my future in 2012. I could do many things which include setting up a badminton academy," said the player, who has won 24 career titles.

Chong Wei, who will turn 28 in October, has been the World No 1 since August 2008 but the Penang-born player has yet to win a major. Among those which have eluded him are the All-England, World Championships and an Olympic gold medal.

But the signs are there that Chong Wei could end his long wait for a major title this year after starting the season brilliantly by winning his first back-to-back titles -- the Korea Open and Malaysian Open -- recently.

However, in both tournaments, he didn't get to play China's three-time world champion Lin Dan, who opted out. Many think that Lin Dan is a better player than Chong Wei but the Malaysian hopes to put the record straight this year.

Chong Wei is expected to face Lin Dan for the first time this year in the March 9-14 All England, which is one of the three Super Series tournaments the World No 1 has yet to win. The other two are the China Open and China Masters.

"Winning the Korea Open and Malaysian Open has boosted my confidence to strive for bigger goals.


"I am aware that China's players, including Chen Jin, Bao Chunlai and Chen Long, have been testing me on court in recent tournaments so that they can report back to Lin Dan.
"I know their strategies but I have a bigger surprise for them including Lin Dan in the All England. I have never won the title but I feel I am nearing the end of my wait.

"I reached the All England final for the first time last year after many attempts and maybe this year will be my year to lift the title.

"But talking about it is easy. I need to work hard for it. I am free from now till the All England except for the National Grand Prix Johor leg next month. It will give me time to work on strategies for the All-England and Swiss Open (March 16-21). - NST

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Malaysian junior athletes are just too ‘lembik’

Saya setuju. We are working on more coaches! “ @ManOlimpik : Malaysian junior athletes are just too ‘lembik’ http://t.co/7D7wmHWaNy ” — Khairy Jamaluddin (@Khairykj) June 10, 2014 The benchmark. Can our junior athletes train as hard as Malaysia's world No.1 badminton player, Lee Chong Wei? “IT IS okay lah. The training is not too bad lah. I will try lah … Wah, so hard lah today.” These are some of the common statements I hear from our juniors nowadays. It is not only in badminton. It is the easy-going, laid-back attitude and lack of competitiveness at grassroots level that we have problems producing quality players. I have travelled quite a bit. After ending my decade-long career with the national team, I went to play in the league in Europe. It’s different there. The European athletes know what they want. And they do it with real focus. Even the young ones possess admirable self-control and show a high level of commitment. During my time in the ...
12 comments
Read more

Organising Major Sports Events Can Inspire Sports Culture Among The People - Khairy

PUTRAJAYA, June 5 (Bernama) -- Organising major sports events can help inspire sports culture among the people and ensure a healthy lifestyle said Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin. Khairy said the Tour of Malaysia cycling race organised since 1963, for example, can encourage more people to take the sport in a more competitive way or just for recreation purposes. "A study carried out by a world renown medical journal, The Lancet, revealed that 61 percent of adults in Malaysia do not engage themselves in active sports. "A study by the Health Ministry revealed that only 25 percent of Malaysians exercise," he said in his speech when launching the 2013 Tour of Malaysia (Jelajah Malaysia) at the Youth and Sports Ministry, here, Wednesday. "Cycling, though not as popular here as in countries like Denmark, the activity is becoming popular among the people as can be seen through an increase in sale of bicycles for recreation," he sa...
Post a Comment
Read more

KBS realistik

TERUJA...Shabery (dua dari kanan) melancarkan Logo Tahun Industri Sukan 2011-2012 di Casa 1, MSN, semalam.    KETIKA beberapa sukan utama diletakkan sasaran meraih pingat khususnya emas di Sukan Olimpik 2012 London, penyertaan bola sepak dan hoki sebagai keluarga baru program Road To London pula dilihat sekadar membantu mereka melepasi kelayakan. Mungkin bersikap lebih realistik dengan keupayaan kedua-dua sukan itu di pentas lebih tinggi, Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek mahu segala bantuan diberikan kepada sejumlah 50 pemain bola sepak dan hoki kebangsaan bagi membolehkan mereka tersenarai sebagai kontinjen ke London. “Bagi acara hoki dan bola sepak, kita tidak boleh melihat bantuan perlu diberi selepas mereka layak tetapi kita akan cuba bantu mereka supaya mereka layak. “Tiada kompromi terhadap misi mendapatkan emas pertama tetapi sasaran kita tahun ini ialah mendapatkan seberapa ramai atlet ke Sukan Olimpik,” katanya selepas mempen...
Post a Comment
Read more