PETALING JAYA: Youngster Lee Chong Wei had to wait until the last moment to confirm his place in the Olympics. But he is now in Athens with the chance to spring the biggest surprise in the men’s singles badminton competition. He left for the Games in cheerful mood on Sunday night after learning about the draw for the competition, which begins on Saturday. Unlike his more senior teammates, Wong Choong Hann and Roslin Hashim, the 21-year-old Chong Wei appears to have an easier passage to the medals playoffs. The Malaysian Open champion is not in the same quarter of the draw as world number one and gold medal favourite Lin Dan of China. As an unseeded debutant in the Games, Chong Wei will be under no heavy pressure and he could well turn the form books upside down. Chong Wei has a tricky opening round match against Hong Kong’s Ng Wei and if he advances, he will be up against second seed Chen Hong of China or Kenneth Jonassen of Denmark. “Yes, this is a good draw for me,†said Chong Wei. “Lin Dan is a very tough opponent to beat. Chen Hong is not so consistent and I beat him in the semi-finals of the Malaysian Open. I think I have a good chance to beat him again. I also have more confidence playing against Kenneth as I have also beaten him before.†The Penang shuttler beat the Dane twice in three matches – in the third round of the Korean Open this year and the last 16 of the Denmark Open last year. “I have beaten Ng Wei once and I think I have an advantage,†said Chong Wei. If Chong Wei clears the second round, he will probably play against South Korea’s Shon Seung-mo in the quarter-finals. He has never played Seung-mo, the semi-finalist in last year’s World Championships, in his career. Chong Wei’s victory in the Malaysian Open in Kuantan in June has given him a huge dose of confidence for his campaign in the Olympics. “Before I won this title, I doubted my ability to beat the top players. Now I have no fear for them. I have prepared well for the Athens Games over the last one month,†he said. A place in the semi-finals could give him a match against China’s fourth seed Bao Chunlai, whom he defeated in the Malaysian Open quarter-finals. “If I get that far, I am assured of a silver medal. I have nothing to lose in my first Olympics and I will give my best,†said Chong Wei. He was among the nine shuttlers and three divers, the biggest batch of the Malaysian contingent to leave for Athens on Sunday. They had two transit flights via Singapore and Dubai before arriving in Athens and checking into the Games Village yesterday afternoon. TheStar
Talk is cheap I start to worry each time when our Malaysian players feel confident about winning and don't blame me for that as none of them have yet to deliver so far about their winning promises. My bet is on Roslin because he hasn't promise anything in public yet Han
