I love bulutangkis : Chong Wei did not get the chance to meet former coach

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I love bulutangkis : Chong Wei did not get the chance to meet former coach
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By RAJES PAUL

World num­ber one men singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei was counting the days to meeting his former national coach, Indra Gunawan, for the last time.

But unfortunately, Chong Wei’s wish did not materialise. The 61-year-old Indonesian passed away yesterday morning at his home in Jakarta after battling with colon cancer for about two years.

Chong Wei learnt about it when he was about to leave for Singapore yesterday.

The 27-year-old is the defending champion in the Singapore Open, which starts on Wednesday. And he will be out to win the Indonesian Open for the second time in Jakarta next week.

“My plan was to visit him when I arrive in Jakarta for the Indonesian Open. But unfortunately, I will not get the chance to say good bye to him,” said Chong Wei.

“I knew he was in critical condition during the Pahang Open recently. In fact, I spoke to him a few days ago and told him to hang in there and wait until I turn up in Jakarta.”

Although Chong Wei is enjoying one of his best moments in his badminton career under coach Misbun Sidek, he said that he had not forgotten his humble beginnings in the national team under Indra.

The Indonesian came to Malaysia as the singles chief coach in 2001 and together with doubles chief coach Park Joo-bong, the duo nearly helped Malaysia to win the Thomas Cup Finals in 2002 in Guangzhou.

Malaysia went down 2-3 to Indonesia in the final but Indra will be remembered for his faith and gamble on exposing younger players, especially Lee Tsuen Seng.

Indra was also known for his compassion for senior players. He gave former internationals One Ewe Hock and Yong Hock Kin a second chance to salvage their positions in the national team.

Chong Wei was only 18-years-old when he joined the national team under Indra.

“I was just a junior trying to make a name for myself. I will always remember him for his words of encouragement. He always gave players the chance to prove themselves,” said Chong Wei.

“It was a different phase of life for me at that time. I needed a lot of support and motivation and he was there to guide me in those two years.”

Thanks to a good foundation laid by Indra, Chong Wei began his journey as the king of the local circuit in 2002.

“It had been a painful time for him (Indra) over the last couple of months. The cancer was spreading all over his body. I want to extend my condolences to his family members,” he said.

“I know what he would have wished for me if he was alive ... to do well in the back-to-back tournaments. I will give my best.”

In the absence of Lin Dan of China, top seed Chong Wei is the favourite to win the Singapore Open.

But Lin Dan will be present for the Indonesian Open and as the third seed, he is drawn to meet Chong Wei in the semi-finals. Chong Wei won the Indonesian Open in 2007 but skipped the tournament last year.


BADMINTON'S World No 1 Lee Chong Wei became the second recipient of the prestigious Darjah Bakti (D.B.) award in conjunction with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin's birthday at Istana Negara yesterday.
Squash star Nicol David was the first athlete to be conferred the D.B. honour last year and although the award does not carry any titles, it is limited to only 10 recipients at any one time.

The award was introduced on June 26, 1975, to honour Malaysians who make outstanding contributions in raising the stature of the country in various fields.

Chong Wei received the rare recognition after winning the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, which was Malaysia's first medal in the games in 12 years, and also maintaining his position as the World No 1 since August 21, 2008.

Chong Wei has also been the only Malaysian player to have won international titles regularly and has also bagged seven consecutive national crowns since 2003.
His exploits in Beijing also earned him the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), which carries the title Datuk, from the Penang state government.

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