KUALA LUMPUR – Badminton legends Datuk Lee Chong Wei and Indonesia’s Taufik Hidayat believe that Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen is unbeatable in the current badminton scene.
Taufik, who was a world champion himself, said that Axelsen has improved his game tremendously, which has made it difficult for others to catch up.
“He is so much faster now; he can cover the court so quickly. If anyone wants to beat him, they really need to train hard.
“Compared to before when I played him, Axelsen is a more complete player now,” said the 2004 Olympic gold medallist during his TikTok session with Chong Wei last night.
At the same time, Chong Wei added during his time he used to anger the Danish shuttler and get under his skin with defensive play that would frustrate Axelsen.
“He makes a lot of mistakes when he gets frustrated but now, he is much calmer and moves better. He plays much more consistently now, that is why he is number one,” said the three-time Olympic silver medallist.
Meanwhile, both players also joked about how during tournaments where China’s Lin Dan was present, Chong Wei had to act as a translator for the Indonesian and the Chinese player.
“Taufik would tell me something in Malay or Indonesian, then I would translate it to Mandarin for Lin Dan, then I would have to do the same from Lin Dan to Taufik. It was entertaining but tiring at the same time,” joked Chong Wei.
Speaking on how it was when they met during tournaments, both world class shuttlers talked about life as young shuttlers meeting overseas.
“We spent more time with each other than being home. We were overseas for two weeks in a month, and even when we were back it would be for training and preparing for the next tournament,” said Chong Wei.
Taufik said, “We used to travel so much that it was difficult to spend time with family. But it all paid off as now I have done my duty to my family, and my country.”
He added that he would be in Malaysia next week for the Malaysian Open and invited Chong Wei for a fun badminton match between old friends.
“Maybe when I’m in town on July 2, we can have a match for old time’s sake,” he said. – The Vibes, June 23, 2022
