Lee Chong Wei Shares His Perspective on the Current Generation of Malaysian Shuttlers and His Rivalry with Lin Dan (Full Video)

Kuala Lumpur: In an interview with a media from China, Malaysian badminton legend Lee Chong Wei candidly admitted that the current era of badminton in Malaysia is different from his own time. He believes that even if the younger generation of athletes loses a match, they still feel supported by their fans.

Full video of Lee Chong Wei’s interview:
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“Nowadays, the younger generation of athletes cannot endure hardship; they prioritize social media over everything else,” said Lee.

When asked if he had communicated with young players and why they were not serious or persistent, Lee Chong Wei bluntly stated that they would say, “You’re old, you’re outdated; this is our era.”

He also confessed that he couldn’t understand why athletes today cannot endure hardship.

“The current generation of young players prioritize social media over their badminton or athletic careers. In the past, I only took on advertisements on my day off (Sunday), not during my training time (Monday to Saturday).”

Lee Chong Wei couldn’t help but shed tears when discussing his mother’s first trip abroad to watch his matches in the 2012 London Olympics.

That year, he suffered an ankle injury (tendon tear) during a Thomas Cup group match against Denmark, but he still competed in the London Olympics with the injury.

“In the last two days before departing for London, I couldn’t complete my training, and when I arrived there, my mother flew over to London. It was her first time traveling abroad to watch my matches, which was a great motivation for me.”

Perhaps it was his mother’s presence that spurred Lee Chong Wei in the 2012 London Olympics, as he battled through the group stage, then defeating Indonesia’s Sony, India’s Kashyap, and China’s Chen Long successively. Unfortunately, he lost to his arch-rival Lin Dan in the final, once again settling for the Olympic silver medal.

Regarding his rivalry with Lin Dan, Lee Chong Wei highlighted the intense battles they had on the badminton court. Despite his admirable record, he acknowledged his shortcomings against Lin Dan, attributing his losses to a lack of physical strength and a too strong of a desire to win, which sometimes affected his performance in crucial moments.

Reflecting on his victory against Lin Dan in the 2016 Rio Olympics semifinals, Lee Chong Wei revealed the immense pressure he felt and the overwhelming sense of relief and satisfaction after securing the win. However, he also admitted to the challenges he faced in subsequent matches, particularly in the final against Chen Long, where physical fatigue and limited recovery time posed significant obstacles.