US Open and Canada Open champion Lee Chong Wei has been having different perspectives of winning since his eight month ban doping that only expired last month.
“I won $3,750 for the title today. It’s not enough to cover for the flight, but it’s not about money. It’s the fantastic feeling of being a champion again,” Chong Wei told Malaysian media.
“Before the ban, I was the world number one for many years. It didn’t matter even when I lost. In U.S. and Canada, I had to win no matter what to improve my world ranking and that was mentally challenging.”
“It was my first trip to the Opens in U.S and Canada. I even struggled to adjust to the different time zones. I played a total of 12 matches in the last two weeks.”
“It’s worth it. I am glad that I pulled through after staying at home for many months without any tournaments.”
Chong Wei, currently ranked no.99 in the world will be opting to play in the upcoming Taiwan Open, despite having to miss out on the birth of his second child.
“I will play in the Taiwan Open although my wife is expected to give birth to our second child during that time. She has given me her blessing to go,” he explained.
“I need to play in Taiwan to get valuable world ranking points. It will help me to qualify for my first two Superseries tournaments this year (in September).”
Photo credits: badmintonfreak.com
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