The scandal-plagued Lee Chong Wei is starting to feel the itch.
The world number one recently met with two Olympic champions and his old buddies, Indonesia’s Taufiq Hidayat and China’s Lin Dan, which had him raring to get back to the court again.
The trio caught up during a friendly badminton match organised by the Thailand BA, in conjunction with the King’s birthday in Bangkok.
Chong Wei was one of the invited guests.
“It was good to catch up with Lin Dan and Taufik. It certainly took away the boredom. I truly miss playing badminton,” he told local Malaysian daily The Star.
“Both of them encouraged me to stay strong and motivated me to make a comeback as soon as my doping issue is resolved.”
The 32 year old has not played competitive badminton for nearly three months, since he tested positive for the banned substance dexamethasone, during the World Championships in Copenhagen back in August.
He is currently waiting for a hearing by the Badminton World Federation, where he hopes to clear his name and avoid the maximum two-year ban.
“The waiting is tiring. I jump at every phone call … at every text message, hoping that it will bring news of the date for the hearing,”
“I have not played competitive badminton for three months. After watching Lin Dan and Taufik the other day, I’m itching to play competitive badminton again,”
“My legs can’t wait to run around the court and my hands can’t wait to hold a racquet … and play big matches in front of my beloved fans.”
The badminton superstar now keeps himself busy, by sparring with the national players whenever they are at the Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara.
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