SEPANG, March 15 – Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who exited early from the All-England Championship, says he is unperturbed by the consistent performance by arch nemesis Lin Dan. The national badminton icon said the excellent display by the Chinese player does not interfere with his preparations for the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games this August.
He said from what he saw in the German Open and the All-England, Lin Dan was at his best. he said he must prepare to overcome a player who is at peak performance. He told this to the reporters after arriving at the KL International Airport (KLIA), here today.
Chong Wei was knocked out in the first round of the All-England Championship after losing to unseeded player B. Sai Praneeth of India, last week. “A player cannot be at his best in all tournaments. Despite losing in the All-England, I will not give up and will try to improve my performance.”
Chong Wei is down to play in the Indian Open from March 29-April 3 and the Malaysian Open from April 5-10. “I have discussed with Hendrawan (men’s singles coach) who said that training will be more intensive. The five months training is not focused only on physical fitness but also mental. This is my last Olympic Games.”
“Meanwhile, Lin Dan and Chen Long of China are not the only players whom Chong Wei has to be worried about. The young players (from other countries) also showed that they are ready for the challenge. We cannot underestimate opponents in the first round.” Hendrawan said.
