IT’S Malaysian Open badminton time again. And although he is no longer in the fray, our former great Datuk Lee Chong Wei still looms large.
He is synonymous with the home tournament. After all, he has won the title 12 times and finished runner-up twice – that’s a whopping 14 finals.
What makes it even more impressive is that no other Malaysian has won it since his last triumph in 2018. In fact, none has even competed in 12 Malaysian Opens – that’s how impressive he has been at his own den.
I was blessed as I got to cover every single one of those wins, even the famous one when he caught up from 13-20 in the decider to beat Lin Dan of China in the 2006 edition in Kuching.
Lin Dan was fuming and left the court embittered. He even snubbed the victory ceremony by walking out after taking his prize money. The defeat was just too much.
That was at a time when the two were in their early 20s, and were bitter rivals with each trying to establish himself as the star of the era.
Fast forward to 2017 Kuching, Lin Dan won his first-ever Malaysian Open title by beating Chong Wei easily. This time, they hugged each other. Their rivalry had turned into a binding friendship.
While Chong Wei has dominated at home, Lin Dan collected many major titles – including worlds and Olympics, often reducing his closest rival Chong Wei to tears and leaving him heartbroken again and again.
Their passion for the game, their duels, their antics and mastery on court brought joy to legions of fans. Lin Dan is adored in Malaysia while Chong Wei became a hit in China and both are known as icons at all the badminton playing nations.
After years of battles and years of ups and downs, they are now partners under The Legends Vision organised by Yonex to promote the sport to the world, together with Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia and Denmark’s Peter Gade.
In fact, both Chong Wei and Lin Dan will be here during the Malaysian Open for promotional work.
I wonder what they will make of the current batch of players?
Will they be disappointed? Or will they be pleased to see the competitiveness in the men’s singles, currently dominated by Viktor Axelsen of Denmark?
We have men’s singles shuttlers Ng Tze Yong and Lee Zii Jia on whom we are counting after Chong Wei left the scene in 2019 but neither is a dominant force. Can they end the wait for a home-grown winner?
The 41-year-old Chong Wei hopes so.
“The last thing I want is to hold on to this record of having the most number of wins at home. I want players like Tze Yong, Zii Jia to break it. Instead of being pressured, they should turn it into motivation,” said Chong Wei, a member of the Road to Gold programme who will be monitoring all the Paris Olympics-bound shuttlers.
There is a glimmer of hope through doubles players like Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik and professionals Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi to end a 10-year wait. The last pair who won it were Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah in 2014.
The standard of the men’s pairs is so close that we can expect quality matches from the get-go, especially when everyone is clamouring for the Olympic points.
But will we get to see another rivalry like Chong Wei vs Lin Dan from this year onwards, be it in the singles or doubles, or in any other event?
World No. 1 Axelsen seems to be a class above in the singles. There are a few snapping at his heels but none to truly match him.
Can we see Axelsen vs Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand dominating? Or will it be Axelsen vs Tze Yong, Zii Jia, Anthony Ginting or Jonatan Christie of Indonesia; or even Axelsen vs Lakshya Sen of India?
Or can resurgent Shi Yuqi of China or his compatriot Li Shifeng spice it up?
Somehow, all these probable possibilities lack oomph, a far cry from the Lin Dan-Chong Wei rivalry.
Even the women’s singles fight has opened up a bit with Japan, China, India, and Indonesia trying to outpace South Korea’s outstanding star An Se-young.
Until we find the right characters and candidates that will make every clash so inviting that makes everything else just stands still, we will still have to walk down memory lane and remember the great battles of the past, all of which had the great legends Chong Wei and Lin Dan.
*The writer wishes all Malaysian players good luck next week (starting on Tuesday at Axiata Arena). Let’s bring back the home title and begin the badminton season with a smashing start.
