The reigning world No 1 lee Chong Wei might have won everything possible in the badminton world but there is still that Olympic gold that is eluding him. And, the Malaysian wants to end his and his country’s wait in 2016.
“Malaysia has never won an Olympic gold. I tried very hard but lost both the times (2008 and 2012 final to China’s lin Dan),” Wei said after his India Open semifinal win.
“Olympic gold is my dream. I’ll try one more time in 2016 if I stay injury-free. I can take it easy in 2016 because I have won silver two times. So, there would be less pressure,” the 30-year-old added, who would take a stock of his fitness before deciding to enter the Games.
“I would like to see how my conditions are next year. If I’m injury-free, I’d play until 2016, one more Olympics. Next year, we have a lot of competitions — Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, World Championships and Thomas Cup in India. Hope I can maintain my results and don’t sustain injuries.”
Wei, meanwhile, couldn’t confirm his presence for the much-talked about Indian Badminton league. “I know it (IBl) is after the World Championships. Nobody discussed with me. I must play in China league. I hope I can come to India. I love the fans here. The league is good for the players and publicity. It’s good for India. You can have the juniors playing with international players.”
Wei, meanwhile, credited China’s population for its dominance in the sport. “They have a lot of people in their country,” he quipped when asked the reason behind the country’s grip over badminton. “India also has a lot of people and now a lot of good players. India is coming up (in badminton), as is Japan, Thailand and other countries.”