BY RAJES PAUL KUALA LUMPUR: National doubles shuttler Lee Wan Wah (pic) wore a worried look when he limped out of the court during the Selangor Open with a slight pain in his knee on Monday. Now, his worst fears have come true. A Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan showed that he was nursing a serious knee injury and it could even mark the end of his badminton career. The 30-year-old will now have to go through a two-week rehabilitation programme before national doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock decides on his fate in the national team. Immediately though, Wan Wah and partner Choong Tan Fook are out of the China Open from Nov 9-14. The duo had hoped to consolidate their status as the top pair in the world by doing well in the China Open. The pair, who dropped to second in the world rankings after the Olympics, are back as the number one in the latest rankings. And with the injury, things could get worse. “It is his old injury,†said Kim Hock. “After the scan, I got a report that his injury is serious. He has to go for rehabilitation and observation for the next two weeks. If he has to go for another operation, then it will be tough for him to make another strong comeback,†lamented Kim Hock. “He can still play after two weeks. But his injury can just act up any time. It is like a ‘ticking time-bomb’. There is a possibility that he may limp forever if the injury hits him again. “Of course, I will have to talk to Wan Wah first on this. Let’s see how things go in the next two weeks,†he said. Kim Hock had hoped for Tan Fook-Wan Wah to have a last shot at glory at next year’s World Championships in August. Having the veterans around would also have given Kim Hock more time to raise the standard of Chan Chong Ming-Koo Kien Keat, the second-ranked pair. “By having a professional physical trainer (Sean Sturgess from the National Sports Institute) for Tan Fook-Wan Wah, I was confident they could still maintain their performances among the world’s best. I had even targeted them to win at least one title by the end of this year. “While the veterans maintain their form, I was hoping to push up the standard of Chong Ming-Kien Keat and the other doubles pairs a notch higher. Now, my plans are all spoiled.†It was Kim Hock who gave the injury-prone Tan Fook-Wan Wah a chance to rejuvenate their career after dismal performances at the 2002 Thomas Cup Finals in Guangzhou. The duo lived up to the coach’s faith when they bounced back stronger with good performances a year later. They were the runners-up at the 2003 Opens in China and Hong Kong. This year, they emerged as the All-England runners-up and Malaysian Open champions. At the Athens Olympics, they lost in the quarter-finals. I am really worried for Tan Fook. He's a good player and it's definitely a pity for him to retire now. If Wan Wah's condition gets serious, it's hard to find another partner for him.
that is so damn bad. just out of interest does that mean he is not going to be ablt to go to Yonex all england next year March? If that's the answer then im probably not going to be able to see him again and the pair have improved loadsfrom the WCH in 2003. damn damn damn damn:crying:
LWW is very prone to injuries. and given his age, this may seal the fate of the pair for good. the question is now what ChoongTF's plan. is he going to retire also, or will he partner with someone else and hope to play for a little bit more.
Is LWW going to retire or will he undergo another surgery? At his age though it might be difficult to bounce back. Does anyone know what he might do if he does retire? Choong/Lee are my favorite despite inconsistencies in their performance and they really work well together.
I'm more worried for Choong, he's such a great player and I can't imagine him partnering a backup player, especially when all the senior players are reorganized into new pairs. Tan Fook had been together with Wan Wah for such a long time. Man ! They were nearly out of the Malaysian squad after the TC 2002. But after that, they produce superb results. At the Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore Opens, they reached the semis. Whereas at the Hong Kong, China Opens and All-England, they managed to reach the finals. Finally, they managed to clinch their local tournament. I mean although they aren't winners all the time, but it's hard to find other pairs which are so consistent. Now let's just hope that Wan Wah recovers just in time for the upcoming events.
Lastest News !!! The Star Online > Sports Monday October 18, 2004 Tan Fook to get new partner after Wan Wah’s latest injury PETALING JAYA: A minor revamp in the national badminton team’s doubles combinations is expected following the absence of veteran Lee Wan Wah because of a serious knee injury. The 30-year-old Wan Wah aggravated the injury during the Selangor Open last week and it has left Choong Tan Fook without a partner again. Wan Wah will undergo a two-week rehabilitation programme but the latest injury may well end his badminton career. National doubles chief coach Yap Kim Hock said that Tan Fook’s place in the national team would not be affected and he would still compete in the China Open from Nov 9-14. Kim Hock added a decision would be made today on a partner for the 29-year-old Tan Fook. “Tan Fook is still a valuable player in the team and this makes it a very sticky situation,†said Kim Hock. “I will have a discussion with the other coaches and the management tomorrow. We have to decide on whether Tan Fook should pair up with an experienced partner to provide Malaysia with good results over the next one year. “If we decide to take this course, Tan Fook will team up with either Chew Choon Eng or Gan Teik Chai. “If we opt for the long term, we will give him a junior partner. He may pair up with Tan Zhao Rong or Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif and play the role of bringing up junior players.†Tan Fook partnered junior Ong Soon Chiang in the Malacca Open last month and they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Tan Fook-Wan Wah are the current world number one. The absence of Wan Wah means that Malacca and Selangor Open champions Koo Kien Keat-Chan Chong Ming are now the national number one. The other pairs in the team are Tan Bin Shen-Ong Soon Hock, Mohd Fairuzizuan Mohd Tazari-Lin Woon Fui, Choon Eng-Teik Chai, Mohd Zakry Abdul Latif-Jack Koh and Soon Chiang-Zhao Rong.
No more Choong and Lee !!! :crying: I hope Tan Fook will get Chong Eng as his partner. Chong Eng partnering Taik Chai is for the young player to get some experience. But now national pride is at stake, Malaysia must figure out something fast. I mean how can you expect there will be no Malaysian doubles in the top 15 or 20 ? I think a Chong Eng -- Tan Fook pairing would be most suitable at the time. Although I don't really like Chong Eng, I think this is the best arrangment for Tan Fook at the time.
What a disappointment, I was hoping to see them play at WC2005 next year. I wish he gets well soon and be able to play again. Choong and Lee are my favourite doubles pair. In any case, the badminton god is with him !
mmm. If he wants to pair up an experienced player with CTF why not Yap Kim Hock himself should pair himself up with CTF. Man that is out of the world, but if that were to happen..... oooohhh mama. That would be interesting. BUT UNLIKELY!! But still.....
:crying: yes that's terrible news. I was hoping that they could win one tournament together before they retire. It's doesn't seem to be possible now. I sure hope LWW recovers and plays some more. It's too bad to retire due to injury and not on his terms.
no doubt that LWW is good.. but the injuries really hamper him from moving foward. I personally think its time for him to retire.. its hard for him play with new players.. and its also not easy for him to adapt to a new partner.
