Chong Wei Feng has admitted he merely has a slim chance of qualifying for the Rio Olympics next year.
The 28-year-old has been struggling to reach his best – leave alone the fact that he has to compete with Lee Chong Wei as well as Zulfadli for the coveted slot.
But despite being overlooked by BAM for the World Championships earlier this year, Wei Feng is retaining a tiny bit of hope for the time being, hoping that he’d be able to pull it off against all odds and compete in Rio next year.
“I know it is difficult to qualify for the Olympics at the moment. But there is still a chance for me to do that.
“I didn’t participate in any competitive tournament for a month and will only begin at the Thailand Open Grand Prix Gold next week.
“I hope that in this tournament, I will be able to perform well, “he told Harian Metro yesterday.
He currently ranked 33rd behind Lee Chong Wei who sits at 24th but six places higher than Zulfadli who placed at 39th in the world ranking.
Only two players for a specific country will be allowed to compete, though both individuals would have to be ranked in the top 16 spots.
Should all the players be beside the top 16 – which is Malaysia’s current situation – only one player would be allowed to compete in Rio next year.
Only two players in the singles category in each country are allowed to compete in the Olympics if both players in the best 16 ranking.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
Judging by the current scenario, it will be difficult for Malaysia to have two representatives in the Olympics, unless they start winning and gaining more points. It would be even more difficult for Wei Feng, considering Zulfadli made the final of the Sydney International recently, which means he’ll definitely secure more points to boost his rankings. It’s one of those situations, where only the best survive, and for Wei Feng, he can only work hard and hope for the best.
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