Would love to sign off with a medal in Rio: Lee Chong Wei

Image
Press Trust of India Hyderabad
Last Updated : Jan 05 2016 | 4:32 PM IST
Former world number one and Malaysia's top shuttler Lee Chong Wei, who is coming back after serving a doping ban, is keen on winning a medal at next year's Rio Olympics as it would be his last Games.
"I thank my friends, coach, media who supported me (after the ban). I just want to focus on winning. It was tough. I learnt a lot of things. I hope to qualify and win a medal in the Olympics," Wei, who played for Hyderabad Hunters in the inaugural edition of Premier Badminton League (PBL), told reporters at the Gopichand Academy here today.
The 33-year-old star shuttler was handed out an eight-month ban in April last year for a doping violation after traces of a banned substance were found in his system.
He said he trained hard and focused on remaining fit to make a comeback into the international circuit in the aftermath of the ban.
Wei, who won a silver medal in 2008 in Beijing Olympics, said the Rio Games would be his last appearance in the mega sporting event.
"I hope to qualify (for Olympics) and focused on that. I would like to be injury-free. This is my last Olympics and I will fight for it," he said.
Wei said India is emerging in international badminton arena in a big way with shuttlers like Saina Nehwal, P V Sindhu and Kidambi Srikanth achieving major milestones with chief national coach Pullela Gopichand mentoring the young players.
The likes of Saina, Sindhu and Srikanth are capable of achieving many more big victories, he said.
Srikanth, a rising star in men's singles, pulled off an admirable victory over Lee Chong Wei in the PBL in Mumbai this week.
Meanwhile, India's star shuttler Parupalli Kashyap, who secured a magnificent win for Hyderabad Hunters over Sameer Verma of Bengaluru, expressed happiness with his performance.
"It was a trump match (against the Bengaluru player). If you lose, it would be minus 1 (-1). But , I won. I was happy for it," he said.
Noting that the PBL would offer him good preparation ahead of the Olympics, he said he had an useful discussion with Lee Chong Wei, his team mate in Hyderabad Hunters.
The Hyderabad side, including star players like Wei, Kashyap, Markis Kido and Jwala Gutta, is a strong outfit with a good chance of winning, he said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 05 2016 | 4:32 PM IST

Next Story