Lee Chong Wei: “Go the extra mile.”
Badminton world No. 1 Datuk Lee Chong Wei has delivered a withering putdown to his fellow Malaysian shuttlers who, he says, are not prepared to “go the extra mile”.
The Malaysian remains unbeaten in domestic competition for eight years and, after winning the Perak Open at the weekend, said Malaysia’s back-up shuttlers would have to change their attitudes if they were to get anywhere in the sport.
“We have a group of players who depend too much on the coaches,” Lee told The Star. “They are neither analytical nor want to go the extra mile.
“From my observation, they are unable to cope with the drills every day of a week. They slow down half way. This is same attitude they show on the court. They give up when the pressure gets to them.
“I have come a long way and there is no short cut. It is all about hard work,” the 28-year-old added.
Lee absolved Malaysia’s coaches from blame, saying the problem lay squarely on the shoulders of the players.
“It’s not about the coaches. Malaysia have Misbun (Sidek), Rashid (Sidek) and even Hendrawan. But they cannot help these players if they do not do their part,” he said.
“I hope the back-up players will show better attitude and start making their presence felt in local and international tournaments next year to save their own badminton careers.”
However, Hendrawan, who was put in charge of 14 players two months ago, said he was confident that given time, the juniors under his charge would improve.
“We cannot turn these players into stars overnight. Let’s be fair to them too,” said the Indonesian.
“They will have to work on getting their game right first. Then, they will be sent out for competitions. All these take time.”
