Skip to main content

Chong Wei wants world title to secure fifth national award

Lee Chong Wei has declared that he wants to pick up one more National Sportsman Award next year. Lee Chong Wei has declared that he wants to pick up one more National Sportsman Award next year.
 
PETALING JAYA: Welcoming a new addition to the family has made shuttler Lee Chong Wei more determined than ever to pursue new goals.

Chong Wei, who became the proud father to son Kingston last Friday, has declared that he wants to pick up one more National Sportsman Award next year, making it a total of five altogether.

If he succeeds, Chong Wei will be the most decorated male athlete in national sporting history.
Chong Wei, who also won the national award in 2005, 2008 and 2011, is tied with current menā€™s singles coach Rashid Sidek, who emerged triumphant in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1996.

Squash queen Nicol David holds the most wins for a female athlete ā€“ seven altogether starting from 1999 and 2003 to 2010 before diver Pandelela Rinong took over.

And how can Chong Wei make sure of a fifth award? By going one step better at the coming World Championships in Guangzhou this August.

Chong Wei will be the countryā€™s brightest hope to end the long wait for a badminton world title when he competes in Guangzhou.
He came close to ending the drought when the world meet last took place in London in 2001, losing a closely-fought final contest.

ā€œThis is my main goal this year. I hope to make the final at the world meet and, hopefully, end up one step better.

ā€œIā€™m optimistic luck will be on my side as I just welcomed my new child and now this.
ā€œI believe I had the upper hand after winning another Olympic medal.
ā€œI hope I can continue to win again next year,ā€ he said, referring to the National Sportsman trophy he was clutching.

On whether he will be playing in the two coming back-to-back tournaments ā€“ the India Open Super Series in New Delhi from April 23-28 and the Malaysian Open GP Gold at the Juara Stadium from April 30-May 4, Chong Wei said he will decide by this week.

ā€œItā€™ll depend on my performance in training first. If I do not go, I will stay back to rest and wait for the Sudirman Cup next month (in Putra Stadium).ā€

Malaysia will be counting on Chong Wei to lead the team to at least a repeat of their best achievement in the premier world mixed team event ā€“ reaching the semi-finals at the 2010 edition in Guangzhou.



By LIM TEIK HUAT - THE STAR

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ex-coach's jail sentence cut to a year

PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal yesterday sentenced former athletics coach C. Ramanathan to 12 months' jail for molesting two junior athletes 19 years ago. A three-man bench led by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus unanimously dismissed Ramanathan's appeal against conviction, but varied the jail sentence of four years to a year, which was to run concurrently. Following yesterday's ruling, Ramanathan, 75, a former teacher, walked out a free man as he had served 10 months in Kajang Prison. Convicts get one-third remission for good behaviour while in prison. However, he will lose his pension. Hishamudin, who sat with Datuk Abdul Wahab Patail and Datuk Linton Albert, said the court found no merit to overturn the conviction. "However, in reducing the sentence, we considered Ramanathan's age and the long years the appeal has taken." Deputy public prosecutor Awang Armadajaya Awang Mahmud submitted that then High Court judge Tan Sri Abdull Hamid E...

Govt Always Gives Emphasis To Sporting Culture, Says PM

KUALA TERENGGANU, May 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badaw i said the government always gives emphasis on cultivating a strong sporting culture in achieving excellence at the international level. As such, the Prime Minister said, it was important to scout for young talents in sports. "I observe that the Malaysia Games (Sukma) has become one of the important platforms to do so. "In this arena, the potentials and skills of the youngsters can be identified for development so that they can achieve greater success in sports," he said in his message in the souvenir book of the 12th Sukma from May 31 until June 9. Abdullah said he was aware that competition in sports was very keen and challenging but this did not mean that Malaysian athletes were incapable of competing at the international level. "The fact is that we have all the characteristics required to be excellent. We must inculcate a strong fighting spirit so that we don't easily surrender,...

Indonesia Choose Komodo Dragon As SEA Games Mascot

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- Host for the 26th SEA Games, Indonesia has chosen the Komodo dragon as mascot for the 2011 Games which will be held in Jakarta and Palembang from Nov 11 to 25. The Indonesia SEA Games Organizing Committee (Inasoc), was qouted by Jakarta Post as saying that a pair of Komodo dragons, a male (Modo) and a female (Modi), were chosen in recognition of the Republic's conservation efforts to protect the dwindling number of the rare lizard. Modo and Modi were unveiled last night at a function in Jakarta, to mark the 200-day countdown before the games open on Nov 11 in Palembang. The Komodo dragons, the largest lizard in the world, only live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. On Jan 15, Inasoc unveiled its logo, a Garuda eagle, to symbolize the power and grandeur of Indonesia. Indonesia dominated the Games between 1977, when it first competed, and 1997, failing to top the medal charts only twice in that p...