KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei sees the introduction of the group stage format in the London Olympics badminton competition at Wembley Arena from July 28-Aug 5 as a boon.
Without any tournament to test his match temperament after injuring his ankle last month, the relatively easier group ties will give Chong Wei the chance to get a feel of the competition.
Chong Wei had to skip last week’s Indonesian Open and the ongoing Singapore Open because he has not fully recovered from the ankle injury suffered during the Thomas Cup Finals in Wuhan last month.
At London, the singles players will be divided into 16 groups, with a minimum of three and maximum of four in a group. The winner of each group will advance to the elimination round. In previous Games, it was a straight forward knockout battle from the opening round.
“The new format may be a blessing in disguise for me. The group matches will give me time to get into competition mode after a long layoff. The tough matches will start after the group stage.”
The introduction of the round robin group stage format is to allow players from the weaker badminton nations to get a chance to play at least more than once in the world’s biggest sporting event. The group draw will be carried out on July 23.
Unlike Chong Wei, his main rivals Lin Dan and Chen Long have had a good warm-up after the Thomas Cup Finals. They competed in the Thailand International and Indonesian Open respectively although both surprisingly failed to shine.
Lin Dan lost to Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia in the semi-finals in Thailand while Chen Long crashed out to P. Kashyap of India in the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open.
Asked about the performances of his main rivals, Chong Wei said: “It’s surprising for Lin Dan to lose to Sony. All the players are probably trying to keep a low profile before the Olympics. I would rather not think about them as I need to look at my own game.”
It has been a trying time for Chong Wei over the last few weeks as he races against time to get fit and be emotionally and mentally ready for the London Games.
“I have started my physical and skill training but it’s still a painful process. I have a phobia of aggravating my injury and it affects my movement when I attempt to retrieve the shuttle at the net or at the baseline,” said Chong Wei, who called for a press conference yesterday to give an update on his progress.
“My ankle is still not 100%. I’m aware that the time is short but I hope to intensify my training in the next few weeks.
“Sometimes, I feel like giving up during training. When it becomes painful, I step out to take a breather. I psyche myself up and remind myself that I have a responsibility to myself and the nation. This is my last Olympics and I don’t intend to give up.”
Chong Wei does not have any full-time mental trainer but he does call on his former psychologist Frederick Tan occasionally to seek advice.
“Fortunately, I also have the support of my family members, friends and fans. Encouraging words like ‘Chong Wei you can do it’ inspire me.”
Chong Wei said he was also looking forward to the centralised stint in Bath - just two weeks before the Olympics - as it would provide him the ideal environment to give his unwavering attention to the final tune-up.
THE STAR
Without any tournament to test his match temperament after injuring his ankle last month, the relatively easier group ties will give Chong Wei the chance to get a feel of the competition.
Chong Wei had to skip last week’s Indonesian Open and the ongoing Singapore Open because he has not fully recovered from the ankle injury suffered during the Thomas Cup Finals in Wuhan last month.
At London, the singles players will be divided into 16 groups, with a minimum of three and maximum of four in a group. The winner of each group will advance to the elimination round. In previous Games, it was a straight forward knockout battle from the opening round.
“The new format may be a blessing in disguise for me. The group matches will give me time to get into competition mode after a long layoff. The tough matches will start after the group stage.”
The introduction of the round robin group stage format is to allow players from the weaker badminton nations to get a chance to play at least more than once in the world’s biggest sporting event. The group draw will be carried out on July 23.
Unlike Chong Wei, his main rivals Lin Dan and Chen Long have had a good warm-up after the Thomas Cup Finals. They competed in the Thailand International and Indonesian Open respectively although both surprisingly failed to shine.
Lin Dan lost to Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia in the semi-finals in Thailand while Chen Long crashed out to P. Kashyap of India in the quarter-finals of the Indonesia Open.
Asked about the performances of his main rivals, Chong Wei said: “It’s surprising for Lin Dan to lose to Sony. All the players are probably trying to keep a low profile before the Olympics. I would rather not think about them as I need to look at my own game.”
It has been a trying time for Chong Wei over the last few weeks as he races against time to get fit and be emotionally and mentally ready for the London Games.
“I have started my physical and skill training but it’s still a painful process. I have a phobia of aggravating my injury and it affects my movement when I attempt to retrieve the shuttle at the net or at the baseline,” said Chong Wei, who called for a press conference yesterday to give an update on his progress.
“My ankle is still not 100%. I’m aware that the time is short but I hope to intensify my training in the next few weeks.
“Sometimes, I feel like giving up during training. When it becomes painful, I step out to take a breather. I psyche myself up and remind myself that I have a responsibility to myself and the nation. This is my last Olympics and I don’t intend to give up.”
Chong Wei does not have any full-time mental trainer but he does call on his former psychologist Frederick Tan occasionally to seek advice.
“Fortunately, I also have the support of my family members, friends and fans. Encouraging words like ‘Chong Wei you can do it’ inspire me.”
Chong Wei said he was also looking forward to the centralised stint in Bath - just two weeks before the Olympics - as it would provide him the ideal environment to give his unwavering attention to the final tune-up.
THE STAR
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