Chong Wei ready to face the world again
Posted by valsus on September 6, 2009
KUALA LUMPUR : World number one men’s singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei is ready to face the world after staying below the radar for a while following his failure to win the world title last month.
Chong Wei said it was his responsibility, as a top athlete in the country, to accept criticisms with an open mind.
“It was a painful time for me after the world meet. I was not in the mood to talk about it. But it has taught me to be strong,” said Chong Wei after a training session at Stadium Juara in Bukit Kiara yesterday.
Hopes were high on Chong Wei but he crashed out in the quarter-finals to Indonesian Sony Dwi Kuncoro in his fourth world outing. Chong Wei, however, bounced back quickly to win the Macau Open a week later.
“Winning the Macau Open was good for my morale but it certainly did not take away the pain and disappointment of losing in the world meet. I was down and tired after that,” said Chong Wei. “So many things were said. Some said I was not mentally strong while others said I was afraid of my opponent.
“To me, it was just not my day. I made mistakes and Sony played exceptionally well and that led to my loss of confidence. I have never been lucky in the world meet.
“I am not blaming my coach, my fans or anyone for that matter. I should be the one taking the rap. Maybe I was too eager to win that I was not able to handle my emotion on that day.”
Chong Wei said he was ready to put that black episode behind him and move on, especially as he has to focus on four major events next year – the Thomas Cup Finals, World Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
His immediate goal, however, is the China Masters. But, first, he hopes to stay injury-free.
On Thursday, he underwent an Imaging Resonance Scan (MRI) after spotting a small lump on the back of his left knee.
“I will get the report soon. It is not a major threat but there is slight pain. It is important to stay free from injuries. That will be my main concern throughout this year,” he said.
“I am hoping to reach at least the semi-finals or the final of the China Masters. I need to maintain good results in the Open tournament.”
