PETALING JAYA: Improvement is one thing. Hunger is another.
And badminton great Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei wants to see more of the latter from Leong Jun Hao.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman believes the 27-year-old men’s singles shuttler is moving in the right direction, but warned that time is no longer on his side.
Jun Hao has shown encouraging signs in training, with positive feedback coming from the coaching team, but Chong Wei believes the world No. 27 needs to kick things up a gear if he is serious about making an impact at the highest level.
"He (Jun Hao) needs to improve his attitude, but I think things are better now. I can see from his training and the feedback from the coaches that he is getting better and improving," said Chong Wei.
"I hope he knows what he needs to do and what he wants. He is not 18 or 20 years old; he’s almost 28 and doesn’t have much time left.
"Perhaps the Los Angeles Olympics will be his last, maybe another one after that, but that will depend on his condition."
Jun Hao’s recent results underline why Chong Wei is demanding more.
The Malaysian has failed to reach the quarter-finals in all 12 tournaments he has played this season, with his latest campaign ending in the opening round of the China Masters against Indonesia’s Jonatan Christie.
For Chong Wei, improvement must also come with discipline – something he considers non-negotiable for any player aspiring to become world class.
"I always said that discipline comes first. If there is a problem with discipline, it doesn’t matter how good a player is; I don’t think they can reach world-class level."
But Chong Wei’s message was not aimed at Jun Hao alone.
He wants Malaysian players to develop the same hunger and fighting spirit displayed by the French team, who raised their profile on the international stage by winning two World Championship titles in New Delhi last month.
"I want the Malaysian players to know how to approach the game with the hunger that the French players have," he said.
"We can see it when they step onto the court, the desire that they have.
"We have it too, but it is still not enough. We must learn from other countries and see where we can improve."
