PETALING JAYA: Adversity can strike anyone, no matter how successful they are but what defines a person is not the challenges they face, but how they rise above them.
Malaysian badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei is a shining example of such resilience, having overcome a doping controversy that threatened his career, fought his way back to world No. 1 and battled cancer.
Chong Wei revisited those defining moments of his career during the Beyond Greatness live talk at the Idea Live Arena on Saturday, opening up about the doping controversy that tarnished his reputation in 2014 before a packed hall of fans and friends.
He recalled receiving a late-night phone call from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) that changed everything.
"They told me that I had failed my drug test," said the 44-year-old.
Explaining the circumstances behind the positive result, Chong Wei said he had suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and sought treatment to recover in time for the World Championships in Denmark after skipping the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
He said the doctor administered a painkilling injection containing dexamethasone, but failed to properly specify the medication to the National Sports Council (NSC).
"If the doctor had properly documented it and informed us, allowing us to declare it to the Badminton World Federation (BWF), it would not have led to any problems," said Chong Wei.
"Only later did I find out that the medication was permitted during regular training and treatment, but prohibited during competitions unless you had declared it to the officials in advance."
Chong Wei had to attend the hearing in Amsterdam with a legal team.
Although the hearing found that he had not deliberately taken the substance to enhance his performance, Chong Wei was still handed an eight-month suspension.
The ruling was devastating, particularly as accusations of cheating continued to follow him.
"That’s why I want to set the record straight that I am not a cheat!"
Rather than allow the situation to derail him, Chong Wei continued his training throughout the uncertain period, and once the ban was lifted, he rebuilt his ranking by competing in smaller tournaments, eventually returning to world No. 1 in 2016.
But his greatest personal challenge came two years later, when he was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer.
Chong Wei admitted that he had been previously reluctant to speak publicly about his illness, not because he did not want to share his experience, but because he did not feel ready to do so.
"After I fell ill, many organisations wanted me to share my experiences with others who are fighting cancer.
"It’s not that I didn’t want to share, but I didn’t feel ready. Even now, I have rarely shared about my time when I was battling illness," he said.
Chong Wei said he underwent more than 30 rounds of radiation therapy in Taiwan, which was a painful experience, but he drew strength from family and friends who travelled from home to keep him company and distract him from the pain.
"It was difficult to endure, but I’m truly grateful for my friends and family who flew from Malaysia to Taiwan to visit me," he said.
Now, Chong Wei hopes his story can encourage others facing adversity to persevere through treatment.
"When illness comes, we don’t have a choice. We have to go for treatment; it’s just a matter of how to persevere through it all," he said.
After recovering, Chong Wei returned to the court, but following advice from doctors to refrain from high-intensity training, he announced his retirement in June 2019.
Chong Wei ended a career that brought him three Olympic Games silver medals and cemented his place among badminton’s all-time greats, and forever a legend in the hearts of Malaysians.
But the love for the game as lured him back on voluntary basis to head BAM as the performance committee chairman and he is doing a great job to keep the team together.
