Chong Wei needs to beat Lin Dan on a regular basis
new, Top News 9:56 AM
PETALING JAYA: The success of world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei in
winning the Japan Open title underlines the fact the Commonwealth Games
men’s singles gold medal is his for the taking.
But the Commonwealth Games is no longer the main battle ground for Chong Wei.
The real big challenge for the Malaysian is to defeat his nemesis, Lin Dan of China, consistently on the international stage.
Chong Wei said that winning the Japan Open crown in Tokyo on Sunday had given him a lot of confidence but it should no longer be a “once in a blue moon” achievement.
National singles coach Rashid Sidek hopes that Chong Wei’s win over the three-time world champion after more than a year will be a significant turning point in his badminton career.
Lee Chong Wei:
“Hopefully, I will be able to win some of the major titles, which I have
failed to do so in the presence of Lin Dan.” – AP
“It
should not end here but it should be a fresh beginning for Chong Wei,”
said Rashid.
“He was not at his best condition going into the Japan Open but Chong Wei did exceptionally well to prove himself.”
Chong Wei had injured his back in a quarter-finals defeat by Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia at the world championships in Paris last month.
“There was no pressure on him. He was expected to reach the final and he showed great maturity in beating Lin Dan. He looked very composed throughout the match,” said Rashid.
“The challenge for him now is to maintain this good performance.”
Rashid believes that Lin Dan will come back stronger in the Asian Games, which will be held in Guangzhou from Nov 12-27.
Lin Dan has yet to win the Asian Games men’s singles gold medal and he will not stop at anything to achieve it.
“Chong Wei and the coaching staff with the help of the officials from the NSI (National Sports Institute) have put a lot of effort in working out the right strategy to beat Lin Dan. We must keep at it,” said Rashid.
Chong Wei, who returned home yesterday, agreed that the win had given him a lot of confidence and promised to ride on the momentum.
“Of course, it will be very satisfying to beat him regularly. Anyway, it is a good start to have done so in Japan,” he said. “I probably have two good years ahead of me.
“Hopefully, I will be able to win some of the major titles, which I have failed to do so in the presence of Lin Dan.”
The 28-year-old Chong Wei will now shift his focus on winning two gold medals in the Delhi Games – in the individual and team events.
His request to leave for New Delhi later than others has been approved. He will leave on Friday instead of today with the bulk of the Malaysian contingent.
A few days’ rest will be good for him to recharge his batteries to deal with the challenges from the likes of Rajiv Ouseph of England and P. Kashyap of India at the Games.
But the Commonwealth Games is no longer the main battle ground for Chong Wei.
The real big challenge for the Malaysian is to defeat his nemesis, Lin Dan of China, consistently on the international stage.
Chong Wei said that winning the Japan Open crown in Tokyo on Sunday had given him a lot of confidence but it should no longer be a “once in a blue moon” achievement.
National singles coach Rashid Sidek hopes that Chong Wei’s win over the three-time world champion after more than a year will be a significant turning point in his badminton career.
Lee Chong Wei:
“Hopefully, I will be able to win some of the major titles, which I have
failed to do so in the presence of Lin Dan.” – AP “He was not at his best condition going into the Japan Open but Chong Wei did exceptionally well to prove himself.”
Chong Wei had injured his back in a quarter-finals defeat by Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia at the world championships in Paris last month.
“There was no pressure on him. He was expected to reach the final and he showed great maturity in beating Lin Dan. He looked very composed throughout the match,” said Rashid.
“The challenge for him now is to maintain this good performance.”
Rashid believes that Lin Dan will come back stronger in the Asian Games, which will be held in Guangzhou from Nov 12-27.
Lin Dan has yet to win the Asian Games men’s singles gold medal and he will not stop at anything to achieve it.
“Chong Wei and the coaching staff with the help of the officials from the NSI (National Sports Institute) have put a lot of effort in working out the right strategy to beat Lin Dan. We must keep at it,” said Rashid.
Chong Wei, who returned home yesterday, agreed that the win had given him a lot of confidence and promised to ride on the momentum.
“Of course, it will be very satisfying to beat him regularly. Anyway, it is a good start to have done so in Japan,” he said. “I probably have two good years ahead of me.
“Hopefully, I will be able to win some of the major titles, which I have failed to do so in the presence of Lin Dan.”
The 28-year-old Chong Wei will now shift his focus on winning two gold medals in the Delhi Games – in the individual and team events.
His request to leave for New Delhi later than others has been approved. He will leave on Friday instead of today with the bulk of the Malaysian contingent.
A few days’ rest will be good for him to recharge his batteries to deal with the challenges from the likes of Rajiv Ouseph of England and P. Kashyap of India at the Games.
Posted by Lucas Liau
on 9:56 AM.
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