Print
    03 August 2012| last updated at 10:05PM

    Heroic Chong Wei sinks Chen Long

    By VIJESH RAI

    1 comments

    LONDON: Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei advances to the Olympics men's badminton finals after beating Chen Long of China.

     

    THERE was more relief than jubilation on Lee Chong Wei's features as he sealed a second successive final appearance in the Olympics with an emphatic 21-13, 21-14 win over China's Chen Long at the Wembley Arena on Friday.
     
    Cheng Long had been expected to give Chong Wei a massive test but the Malaysian, who is now one match away from becoming the first Malaysian to win Olympic gold, was just too determined for the China player.
     
    Chong Wei and coaches Tey Seu Bock and Rashid Sidek got their tactics right and once Chong Wei took control, as had been the plan, there was to be no looking back.
     
    "I can't believe how well I played as I had come into the Olympics not as prepared as I would have wanted," said Chong Wei after winning in 51minutes.
     
    Victory was celebrated by first dropping to his knees, followed by pumped fists and then acknowledgement  of the fans - the majority of who were behind Chong Wei.
     
    "The pressure I was under was immense and I told myself that this was the final as I didn't want to have to pysche myself up for the third-place playoff, which would have been very difficult."
     
    Seu Bock said Chong Wei had controlled the match exactly the way it had been planned.
     
    "We wanted him to vary his game between fast and slow and that caught Chen Long off guard as he couldn't cope with Chong Wei's variations. The final is next (most probably against Lin Dan on Sunday) and Chong Wei will prepare as he did for this match, with focus and a sense of calm," said Seu Bock.
     
    Rashid was as vocal as Seu Bock on the sidelines and said the focus now is on getting Chong Wei to improve on his silver medal finish in Beijing 2008.
     
    "He is a step away and we must work hard to ensure that he goes one better. I believe he can," said Rashid, bronze medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.
     
    Malaysia certainly hopes so.

     

    Lee Chong Wei didn't have it easy against P. Kashyap of India in the quarter-finals. Pix: Khairul Ghazali

    1 / 2
    Related Articles

    Leave Your Comment


    Leave Your Comment:

    New Straits Times reserves the right not to publish offensive or abusive comments and those of hate speech, harassment, commercial promos and invasion of privacy. Your IP will be logged and may be used to prevent further submission.The views expressed here are that of the members of the public and unless specifically stated are not those of NST.