KUALA LUMPUR – Losing a tournament undoubtedly affects a player’s confidence, said legendary badminton men’s singles Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
As such, players should continue to put in the effort to regain their best form.
He was commenting on the Malaysian team’s failure to attain their semifinal target at the Asia Mixed Team Championships in Dubai, where they lost 3-2 to China in the quarterfinals on Friday and India, 4-1, in the group stage the day before.
“Indeed, we lost to India and China, but this may not be important, because we have already qualified for the Sudirman Cup.
“China did not even send their full team, but we know how strong they usually are at the Sudirman Cup.
“Despite the defeat, they cannot be losing confidence now, because this year would be the most crucial year for the players due to the upcoming Olympic Games qualifier, starting in May,” he told the media after joining Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh on her official visit to the Paralympic Games Centre of Excellence in Kg Pandan, here, yesterday.
Regardless of the defeat, Malaysia, currently fifth in the world rankings, is still qualified to compete at the Sudirman Cup Finals in May for being the top three nations that did not qualify through the continental event.
Meanwhile, Chong Wei, dubbed one of the greatest badminton players of all time, recalled when he used to slump to below 100 ranks after missing out on several tournaments and exiting quarterfinals and semifinals in several tournaments.
Although such a performance should not be commended, the 40-year-old however advised players to push through the hard times and to keep their eyes on the prize.
As a former men’s singles shuttler, Chong Wei also hoped that men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia would not give in.
He advised the world No. 4 shuttler to achieve at least one win so he could regain his confidence in competing on the world stage.
“As for Zii Jia, speaking from one singles player to another, I hope he will bounce back quickly and regain his confidence.
“Not that he cannot lose at all, but he needs to be consistent with his results so he can bounce back.
“I remember how difficult it is to recover from a loss of confidence. There was a time when I kept losing in the quarterfinal and semifinal. I was not able to compete for months, and my ranking dropped to below 100.
“But I made a comeback at the Sudirman Cup in China, then I regained my confidence. Perhaps Zii Jia needs that win too,” added the thrice Olympic silver medallist. – The Vibes, February 19, 2023
