Is June 13, 2019, the dreaded day for Malaysian badminton? It could well be.
For this is the day when former World No 1 and badminton’s best-known ambassador Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei has called for a press conference at the Sports Ministry in Putrajaya.
This could be the day when the badminton icon could announce his retirement from the shuttle sport – thanks to the BIG C – which has curtailed his badminton career badly and his ranking dropped to a low 190.
The 37-year-old Chong Wei’s last competitive match was the Indonesia Open in July last year where he reached the semi-finals before bowing out to current World No 1 Kento Momota of Japan.
A week earlier he had beaten Momota to win his 12th Malaysian Open title.
On his return from Jakarta, the Malaysian legend stayed away from training and was later diagnosed with nose cancer while seeking treatment in Chinese Taipei. He skipped the World Championships and also the Asian Games.
Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman will be present at the press conference in Putrajaya but has called on all to give the badminton icon space he needs very much.
Chong Wei has already had talks with the minister and Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria. RIZAL ABDULLAHÂ
