Lee Chong Wei

Lee Chong Wei, a distinguished Malaysian badminton athlete, has garnered acclaim and earned the title 'Dato' along with the status of a national hero due to his exceptional performances over the years. Notably, he clinched gold medals at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Securing silver in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, he became the sixth Malaysian to attain an Olympic medal and the initial Malaysian to reach the men's singles finals. As a singles player, he held the World Number 1 ranking for an impressive 199 consecutive weeks from August 2008 to June 2012, making him the third Malaysian and the sole Malaysian badminton player to maintain this position for over a year.

Lee Chong Wei's achievements include back-to-back victories at the prestigious Yonex All England Open in 2010 and 2011, as well as securing his tenth Malaysia Open title in 2014. Recognized for his excellence, he received numerous awards throughout his career. His biography, titled 'Dare to be a Champion,' was published in 2012 and emerged as a bestseller in Malaysia.

Early Life

Lee Chong Wei was Born on October 21, 1982, in Bagan Serai, Perak. He comes from a Malaysian Chinese family, with parents Lee Ah Chai and Khor Kim Choi. Initially drawn to basketball during his early years, he had to abandon the sport due to his mother's concerns about the intense outdoor court heat. Lee's interest shifted to badminton at the age of 11 when his father, an enthusiast of the game, introduced him to the badminton hall. Local coach Teh Peng Huat noticed his potential and sought permission from Lee's father to mentor him. With parental approval, Teh commenced training Lee after school. Identified by Misbun Sidek, Lee joined the national squad at the age of seventeen in 2000.

Personal Life

On August 21, 2008, Lee was rewarded with RM 300,000 for his silver medal achievement in the 2008 Olympic Games. Additionally, he began receiving a monthly pension of RM 3,000 for life starting from August 2008. In February 2009, he assumed the role of UNICEF Malaysia's National Ambassador.

Following his victory in the All England Open on March 16, 2011, Najib Tun Razak presented Lee with Permodalan Nasional Berhad shares valued at RM 100,000. Lee took on the role of ambassador for KDU University College on July 31, 2011. His autobiography, "Dare to be a Champion," was officially published on January 18, 2012.

Career

Year (2002-2007)

During the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Lee Chong Wei secured only one minor title. His inaugural major tournament final was at the 2003 Malaysia Open, where he faced defeat against China's Chen Hong. In 2004, Lee clinched two titles-the Malaysia Open and the Chinese Taipei Open-and earned a spot in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Despite defeating Ng Wei of Hong Kong in the first round, Lee's Olympic journey concluded in the second round with a loss to Chen Hong. In 2005, he claimed two titles-the Malaysia Open and the Denmark Open-and won a bronze at the 2005 World Championships, losing to eventual champion Taufik Hidayat in the semifinal.

The year 2006 saw Lee triumph in three out of six finals, winning the Swiss Open, Asian Badminton Championships, and his third Malaysia Open title. Notably, he fought back from a 13-20 deficit in the rubber match to secure the Malaysia Open title against Lin Dan. Lee also clinched two gold medals for Malaysia in the badminton events at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Despite reaching the top spot twice in the Badminton World Federation's rankings, he faced an upset in the quarter-final of the World Championships against China's Bao Chunlai.

In 2007, Lee faced challenges, failing to reach the Malaysia Open final for the first time in five years and experiencing early exits in five subsequent competitions. However, he secured the Indonesia Open title, marking his first win since the 2006 Malaysia Open, following a reunion with former coach Misbun Sidek. Despite knee injuries, he reached the finals of the China Open and Hong Kong Open. Despite a solid performance in the Sudirman Cup, Malaysia finished fifth. The low point of the year came at the World Championships, held in front of his home crowd, as he was defeated in the third round by Indonesia's Sony Dwi Kuncoro.

Year 2008

In 2008, Lee Chong Wei started the year on a high note, securing his fourth Malaysia Open title in five years. However, he managed to clinch only one additional title that year, the Singapore Open, which served as the final tournament in his pre-Olympic preparations. Participating in various events such as the Korea Open, All England Open, Swiss Open, Badminton Asia Championships, and the Thomas Cup in Jakarta, Lee contributed to Malaysia's advancement to the semifinal. Although he defeated Lin Dan in the semifinal, Malaysia ultimately lost 2-3 in the crucial final match.

During the 2008 Olympic Games, Lee received a bye in the first round and progressed through subsequent rounds with straight-game victories. Despite facing a tough challenge from Lee Hyun-il in the semifinals, he reached the final. However, the championship match against Lin Dan was one-sided, and Lee finished in second place, salvaging only 20 points with a score of 12-21, 8-21.

In his last Super Series tournament of the year, the Hong Kong Open, Lee withdrew abruptly due to a knee injury, conceding a walkover to Germany's Marc Zwiebler. This withdrawal led to the Chinese media labeling him as the "weakest world number one." Speculations arose about factors affecting Lee's performance, including the stress of the Olympic final, a phobia of Lin Dan following his significant Olympic defeat, and the pressure of holding the world number one ranking.

Despite these challenges, Lee achieved his seventh consecutive victory at the National Badminton Grand Prix Final in Kedah on December 12, 2008, breaking the record of six consecutive titles set by Misbun Sidek. He concluded the year with a title in the Super Series Masters Finals, although top Chinese players, including Lin Dan, did not compete, citing injuries and fatigue.

Year 2009

In 2009, Lee Chong Wei commenced the season by securing his fifth Malaysia Open title. Despite reaching the finals, he fell short of securing his first titles at the Korea Open and All-England Open. However, he bounced back with a victory in the Swiss Open held in Basel, defeating Lin Dan in straight sets. This marked his first win against the Chinese opponent in finals outside of home turf.

Subsequently, Lee faced a defeat by Chen Long in the India Open, attributing it to food poisoning and urging authorities to improve conditions before the World Championships. In May, he played a crucial role in helping Malaysia reach the Sudirman Cup semifinals, despite his unbeaten record being disrupted by Lin Dan. Lee clinched two more titles in June-the Indonesia Open and the Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold-although he couldn't defend his Singapore Open title, losing to Nguyễn Tiến Minh in the second round.

The second half of the season began with a defeat by Sony Dwi Kuncoro in the world meets, followed by a victory in the Macau Open in August. Despite reaching the semifinals in the China Masters, he once again faced defeat against his longtime rival, Lin Dan. Lee participated in the Japan Open, reaching only the second round, before winning the Hong Kong Open in November. However, his inconsistency led to an early exit in the first round of the China Open. In December, Lee successfully defended his Super Series Masters Finals title, with the competition held without the participation of the top badminton players in the world.

Year 2010

In the initial part of the year, Lee achieved a remarkable feat by winning titles in all events he participated in, marking his first treble in Super Series titles. This included his first-ever Korea Open victory, a sixth Malaysia Open triumph, and a significant win against Kenichi Tago to secure the prestigious All-England Open, his first since his participation in 2004.

During the Thomas Cup on home ground, Lee contributed by defeating Kenichi Tago and earning the first point, although Malaysia ultimately lost (2-3) to Japan. In the quarter-finals, his victory against Peter Gade played a crucial role in securing Malaysia's spot in the semifinals. China defeated them, and Lee suffered a loss to Lin Dan.

In June, Lee faced a quarter-final exit at the Singapore Open but quickly rebounded by winning the Indonesia Open, Malaysian Open Grand Prix Gold in July, and Macau Open in August. However, in late August, he experienced an unexpected exit from the World Championships, citing a back injury sustained after the match against Rajiv Ouseph in the third round. On September 26, he defeated his archrival Lin Dan in the Japan Open, the only title not claimed by Chinese players in the tournament.

In October, Lee played a crucial role in Malaysia's victory over India, defending the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games mixed team event. He then successfully defended his gold medal in the singles event a few days later. The following month, he secured a silver medal at the Asian Games, where, despite defeating reigning World Champion Chen Jin in the semifinal, he faced another defeat at the hands of Lin Dan in the final. To close the season, he won his second consecutive Hong Kong Open title and claimed his third consecutive Super Series Master Finals title, with the tournament held in January 2011.

Year 2011

In January, Lee secured his seventh Malaysia Open title by defeating Taufik Hidayat in the final. However, he couldn't retain the Korea Open title, the world's inaugural million-dollar badminton tournament, as Lin Dan defeated him in three games. In March, Lee reached the All England Open final for the third consecutive time, successfully defending his title with a convincing straight-game victory over Lin Dan, earning praise from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

On Labour Day, he achieved his first-ever India Open victory and also secured his third consecutive Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold title a week later. In late June, Lee made history by winning the Indonesia Open, becoming the first non-Indonesian player to complete a hat-trick in the tournament.

Lee's dream of being the first Malaysian to win gold in the World Championships was shattered after a defeat by Lin Dan in the final. Despite leading for most of the match, he lost two crucial match points in the rubber game. In September, Lee was unable to defend his Japan Open crown, facing a loss to China's emerging talent Chen Long. In October, his bid for a second Denmark Open title ended in a defeat to Chen Long. However, he rebounded by winning the French Open a week later. This was followed by triple semifinal exits in the Hong Kong Open, China Open, and Super Series Master Finals.

Year 2012

In the Olympic year's first Super Series tournament, the Korea Open, Lee commenced with a victory over Lin Dan in three sets, seeking redemption from the previous year's defeat in the final. A week later, he secured his eighth Malaysia Open title, matching Wong Peng Soon's record of home titles won between 1940 and 1953.

In March, Lee faced a setback in the All-England Open, exiting in the second game after receiving medical assistance, thereby ending his quest to be the first man to win three successive All-England Open titles. In April, he lost to South Korean Shon Wan-ho in the India Open final but bounced back to retain his Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold title for the fourth consecutive time in May.

Lee returned to compete in the London Olympic Games after recovering from his injury. He narrowly defeated Ville Lång in the first round, citing pressure for the close match. He then secured victories against Simon Santoso and Kashyap Parupalli in the second round and quarter-finals, respectively. In the semifinals, he defeated Chen Long in straight sets, setting up a rematch of the 2008 final against Lin Dan. Despite leading after winning the first game, Lin Dan forced the match into rubber games.

Post-Olympics, Lee won the Japan Open and Denmark Open but suffered a loss in the Hong Kong Open final shortly after his marriage. The year concluded with a defeat in the opening match of the Super Series Master Finals, prompting his withdrawal from the tournament due to a thigh injury.

Year 2013

Lee secured the Korea Open title for the third occasion, and a week later, he clinched his ninth Malaysia Open title, surpassing Wong Peng Soon's previous record of eight titles. However, he faced a defeat in the All-England Open final against Chen Long.

In April, Lee experienced a semifinal loss to young Chinese player Tian Houwei in the Australia Open but rebounded by winning his second India Open title and fifth Indonesia Open. In August, he reached the World Championships final but faced another defeat against Lin Dan, mirroring his setbacks in the 2011 final and 2010 Asian Games.

Following the World Championships, Lee participated in four Super Series tournaments. He secured the Japan Open title for the fourth time but faced a loss in the Denmark Open final and a semifinal exit in the French Open. Lee returned to triumph in the Hong Kong Open.

Year 2014

In January, Lee faced his fourth consecutive defeat by Chinese player Chen Long in the final of the Korea Open but rebounded by claiming his tenth Malaysia Open title a week later. Following this victory, he announced that the Malaysia Open would be his last, and he would assess his condition after the Asian Games, contemplating retirement if the results were not favorable.

Contrary to expectations, Lee's form improved, and he secured his third All England Open and India Open titles. However, he experienced a loss to Simon Santoso in the final of the Singapore Open. In the Thomas Cup, Lee had an impeccable record, winning every match he played. Despite Malaysia reaching the finals, they were defeated by Japan with a score of 3-2.

In June, he continued his success by winning the Japan Open for the third consecutive year and the fifth time overall. However, his hopes for nine consecutive Super Series finals were dashed as he lost in the semifinals of the Indonesia Open. A serious hamstring injury led to Lee's withdrawal from the 2014 Commonwealth Games in July, ending his bid to become the first men's singles shuttler to win three consecutive gold medals at the games.

Lee returned to play in August, finishing as the runner-up for the third time at the World Championships, losing to Chen Long of China in straight sets. He faced defeats to Chen Long in the semifinals of the Asian Games team competition and to Lin Dan in the singles event a few days later.

Year 2015

Lee Chong Wei returned to competition at the Sudirman Cup, marking his comeback after an eight-month suspension due to a doping violation. He displayed an impressive performance by winning all three matches in the tournament. Subsequently, he secured consecutive titles at the US Open and Canada Open. Despite a second-place finish at the World Championships, where he lost to Chen Long in the final, Lee faced early-round exits in three subsequent tournaments: the second round of the Japan Open, the qualifying rounds of the Korea Open, and the second round of the Denmark Open.

Following these setbacks, Lee made a strong comeback by winning the French Open and claiming his first-ever China Open title, making him the first men's singles shuttler to achieve victory in all Super Series tournaments. In the subsequent week, he continued his winning streak by securing the Hong Kong Open. However, Lee did not qualify for the Super Series Finals, concluding the year with an impressive feat of three consecutive titles.

Year 2016

In January, Lee secured his fifth Malaysia Masters title. However, in March, he faced early exits in both the first round of the All-England Open and the second round of the India Open. April saw Lee making a triumphant return by winning his 11th Malaysia Open title, followed by his second Badminton Asia Championships title. At the Thomas Cup in May, despite Lee winning all his matches, Malaysia lost to eventual winners Denmark in the semifinals.

In June, Lee achieved his sixth Indonesia Open title, equaling the record and becoming the first non-Indonesian and third shuttler overall to win the title six times. Although scheduled to compete in the Australian Open, he withdrew due to a muscle injury.

Leading the Malaysia contingent during the Olympic Games opening ceremony on August 5, Lee advanced to the men's singles final, defeating his longtime rival Lin Dan in the semifinals. However, he faced his third successive Olympic final defeat, this time against Chen Long.

In September, Lee secured his sixth Japan Open title. Following this, he encountered a series of setbacks, facing defeat in the third round of the Denmark Open, withdrawing from the French Open due to a hamstring injury, and concluding the year with a group stage exit in the Super Series Finals.

Year 2017

At the beginning of the 2017 season, Lee Chong Wei secured his fourth victory in the All-England Open. He overcame challenges after tearing the medial collateral ligament during a training session at the new Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM). This incident led to a dispute with technical director Morten Frost over the replacement of slippery mats, but Lee managed to overcome these obstacles. He experienced consecutive losses to Lin Dan, first in the final of the Malaysia Open and then in the semifinals of the Badminton Asia Championships.

In May, Lee displayed outstanding performance by winning all the matches he contested during the Sudirman Cup. However, a month later, he faced a setback with a loss in the second round of the Indonesia Open. In August, Lee suffered an unexpected defeat by Brice Leverdez in the first round of the World Championships, prompting him to apologize to Malaysians via his Twitter account. Despite the defeat, he received touching replies from his fans.

In September, Lee experienced a loss in his 100th career final at the Japan Open. Subsequently, he faced early exits in the next three Super Series tournaments: the second round of the Denmark Open, the first round of the French Open, and the quarter-finals of the China Open. Lee managed to secure the Hong Kong Open title, marking his second title of the year.

Year 2018

In April, Lee Chong Wei secured his fifth Commonwealth Games gold medal and earned a silver in the mixed team event. However, he faced challenges in the World Tour events during the first half of the year. He exited in the first round of the Malaysia Masters, a tournament he claimed he had not intended to participate in. Additionally, he reached the third round of the All-England Open and the semifinals of the Badminton Asia Championships.

In team events, Lee performed exceptionally well, winning all his matches in both the Badminton Asia Team Championships and the Thomas Cup. Malaysia reached the semifinals and quarter-finals in the respective events.

In July 2018, Lee extended his record at the Malaysia Open by claiming his 12th title in his 14th final and reached the semifinals of the Indonesia Open. A week before the World Championships, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced that Lee would miss the championships and the Asian Games due to treatment for a respiratory-related disorder. It was later revealed that he had been diagnosed with early-stage nasopharynx cancer and underwent treatment in Taiwan.

Doping

In October 2014, reports from local media stated that the Badminton Association of Malaysia confirmed that a prominent Malaysian badminton player tested positive for dexamethasone during the World Championships in August of the same year. Although the identity of the player was not officially disclosed, it was widely believed to be Lee Chong Wei. Dexamethasone is not considered a performance-enhancing drug but rather a common anti-inflammatory corticosteroid. While it is not illegal when used off-season for injury rehabilitation, it is deemed prohibited if found in an athlete's system during competition.

On November 5, 2014, Lee traveled to Norway to witness the testing of his "B" sample at Oslo University Hospital after the initial "A" sample had already tested positive in October. The results were announced on November 8, 2014, confirming that the "B" sample had also tested positive. Although the Malaysian sports official declined to identify the player officially, it was confirmed to The Associated Press that it was indeed Lee Chong Wei.

Subsequently, on November 11, 2014, the Badminton World Federation temporarily suspended Lee from competing due to an apparent violation of anti-doping regulations. The hearing took place on April 11, 2015, in Amsterdam.

On April 27, 2015, it was revealed that Lee received a backdated eight-month ban for the anti-doping rule violation. The panel concluded that Lee had no intention to cheat, allowing him to resume his career by May 1, 2015. While Lee was stripped of his silver medal from the 2014 World Championships, he was allowed to retain his two bronze medals from the 2014 Asian Games.

Retirement

On June 13, 2019, Lee Chong Wei officially announced his retirement, marking the conclusion of his nearly two-decade-long international badminton career. This decision came after a year-long battle with nose cancer, during which he had hinted at a possible return to competition in early 2019. However, his doctors advised against engaging in high-intensity training to prevent a potential relapse of the cancer.

Following the announcement, both the media and fellow players paid heartfelt tributes to Lee Chong Wei. Lin Dan, his longtime rival, expressed on Sina Weibo that he now had to "head into battle alone" as he no longer had a companion and shared a song titled "Don't Cry, Friend."

Marriage

He was romantically involved with his teammate Wong Mew Choo. In 2009, at the World Championships in Hyderabad, India, Lee and Wong revealed their separation. Nevertheless, Lee disclosed their reunion following his silver medal win at the 2012 Summer Olympics. They tied the knot on November 9, 2012, and are parents to three children-Kingston, Terrance, and Anson-born in April 2013, July 2015, and November 2022, respectively.

Conclusion

Lee Chong Wei, the renowned Malaysian badminton star, concluded his remarkable 19-year international career on June 13, 2019, after bravely battling nose cancer. As a four-time Olympic medalist and former World No. 1, Lee retired on medical advice to avoid intense training. Despite challenges, including an eight-month ban in 2015, his resilience and skill garnered numerous accolades. His retirement signified the end of a sporting era, leaving an enduring impact on badminton. Lee Chong Wei is celebrated not only for his achievements but also for embodying determination, sportsmanship, and an enduring spirit, creating a global legacy in the world of sports.