It is good to start a new year just like the way Lee Chong Wei started his; smashing to such a morale-boosting victory over his nemesis Lin Dan in the final of the just concluded Korea Open. It was not all the way smooth sailing as our hero struggled in the first set, went down easily to Lin Dan which was more composed, 14-21, and after the first set, I was shaking my head and the usual “oh….not again?” feeling was back in my mind as our hero was staring at a defeat once again.
But Lee Chong Wei proved that his fitness and mental strength remained rock solid in the second set and with excellent court coverage and incredible returns that eventually wearing down his opponent Lin Dan, who was a year younger at 28. The second set was truly exciting to watch, a physically draining game for both of the players and a more even game so to speak and Lee Chong Wei eventually edging Lin Dan 21-18. The final game was a reverse of the first one as Lin Dan made far too many uncharacteristic mistakes and Lee Chong Wei was able to tame the tired and out-of-character Lin Dan.
The victory in Korea is not only a confidence booster for Lee Chong Wei but also a new budding hope for Malaysian fans that he is still capable of giving his best to land us a first ever Olympics gold medal. Lin Dan is no longer invincible but Chen long could be a serious threat though.
BAM should indeed seriously look into reducing the competitions Lee Chong Wei has to compete this year so that he can reserve his best for the Olympics. Lee can win 10 times the Super Series but without an Olympics Gold, his mission is not complete and will go into the history book of badminton as a second fiddle to Lin Dan who has won all the major competitions including the Olympics Gold.
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