KUALA LUMPUR: National badminton champion Datuk Lee Chong Wei may participate in the Final Super Series in December, despite earlier not planning to compete in the tournament.
Chong Wei said he might be forced to change his decision because Malaysia would host the championship which would take place on Dec 11-15.
“I have no choice and to take part in (two Super Series championships) the China and Hong Kong Open. For the last Super Series in Kuala Lumpur, if given a choice, I want to rest…but the decision is also not in the hands of the coach as the association wants me to play. “If I don’t play in the last Super Series, I can rest to face more challenging championships next year,” he said when met by reporters at the 100 Plus ‘Everyday Win’ promotion campaign, here, yesterday.
While admitting he was not satisfied with his performance this season, Chong Wei, however, said he had made preparations to face the China Open on Nov 12-17 and Hong Kong Open (Nov 19-24).
In the French Open at the end of last month, Chong Wei failed to win the championship after losing to Japanese player, Kenichi Tago 21-17, 16-21 and 12-21 in the semi-finals.
Chong Wei, the world’s number one player, also lost in straight sets 22-24 and 19-21 to Chen Long of China in the final of the Denmark Open in the middle of last month.
“Often, at the end of the season, I lose focus..I am really tired and hope to recover to compete in other championships next year.
“I will only focus on big championships next year. For me, the outcomes (in the championships he participate in) are more important than ranking,” he said.
In the meantime, Chong Wei is worried about the performance of the national badminton squad which have not reached the standard to face the Thomas Cup in New Delhi, India next year. — Bernama