World number one shuttler Lee Chong Wei, who is "fired up" after winning his fourth All England Championships last week, has said he is no mood to think about retirement and that he will look to continue representing Malaysia until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Notably, Lee suffered a knee injury weeks before the World Superseries Premier tournament and had even hinted at pulling out only to stay determined, compete and eventually win the tournament.
While his fierce rival and six-time champion Lin Dan exited the tournament in the semi-final after losing in straight games to compatriot Shi Yuqi, Lee stayed on and defeated the Chinese youngster to clinch glory. The Malaysian shuttler had maintained that he would take a call about his future after this year's World Championships in August.
The three-time Olympic silver medalist now reveals he is determined to stay on and that he knows when to stop. Lee added that no one has the right to question his hunger and talk to him about retirement. Notably the shuttler had a rift with Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) technical director Morten Frost, who according to him had enquired about his retirement to coach Hendrawan following his latest injury.
He added that he believes Lin Dan and himself are much like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal as they keep churning out their best despite the passing years. Notably, the veteran tennis stars gave a glimpse of their vintage self at this year's Australian Open and battled odds to reach the final in Melbourne after coming back from injury-layoffs.
"No one needs to tell me when my time is up. I am still fired up to play. The All-England victory showed me that I can do it if I put my mind to it. I was determined to prove a point to some people at the All-England. I won. I am still the world No. 1. And I may even push myself until Tokyo. Why should I even think of retiring now?" Lee said, as quoted by The Star.
"For now, Lin Dan and I are like tennis stars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Those two are considered old for their game, but they still produce great performances. As long as Lin Dan and I are still at the top of our game, we'll give our fans a good show.
Lee's immediate focus is winning his maiden World Championships title in Glasgow later this year (August). Notably, the world title has eluded him all these years but the Malaysian has finished as runner-up thrice before.
"It will be a challenge. Everyone wants me to become the world champion for the first time ... I want it too. There will definitely be pressure, but I will have to deal with it. At this year's All-England, I took it one match at a time and even learnt to enjoy the game. I may do the same in Glasgow ... just enjoy the world meet," Lee added.
"I will prepare hard. I am fitter, but I must not get injured again. For now, my focus is on the Indian Open and Malaysian Open. I hope to sustain my form."
