National men’s singles shuttler, Lee Chong Wei will be heading to his last Olympic Games carrying the hopes of an entire nation to deliver its first Olympic gold, and at the same time to close out a sensational career spanning over 16 years.
The world no. 1 player believes he is still capable of delivering a top performance despite getting calls of retirement from most critics.
This will be Lee’s fourth Olympic appearance after making his debut at Athens 2004, and he’ll go all out to clinch the gold medal that he is craving for, after twice falling short in the previous finals against his arch nemesis, Lin Dan.
“I can still give it my all and I’ll do just that,” he said after arriving in Rio yesterday.
Chong Wei made a sensational return after an 8-month doping ban to wrestle back the top spot of badminton, and he attributed the success to his two sons and wife, Wong Mew Choo who was also a former national player.
“I thought I wouldn’t be able to make it here after the controversy surrounding my usage of a banned substance.
“No one understood what I went through besides my wife who was also a badminton player. She was the one that supported me throughout my difficult moments,” he said.
Armed with the intent to prove his critics wrong and the support from his wife and children, the 34-year-old player is ready to conquer the Olympic courts for the final time in his career.
Chong Wei is expected to face Lin Dan in the semi-finals this time, but he prefers to focus on one game at a time as he believes that his current maturity level and experience will be enough to fulfil the ultimate dream in Rio.
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