LEE Chong Wei has disclosed that his Olympic gold medal dream could have ended prematurely had he played in the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The World No 1 aggravated his old thigh injury in training before the tournament and was advised by his doctor not to pursue a third straight title.
But Chong Wei is now back in training and though not 100 per cent fit, he is determined to win the men’s singles gold in his final appearance at the Asian Games in Incheon in September.
“The doctor warned me about the consequences if I did not withdraw from the Commonwealth Games. I accepted it as I do not have many years left in the sport,” said Chong Wei after he was unveiled as a member of Team Samsung for the Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
“If I had played, I probably would have become the first shuttler to win a third straight title in the Commonwealth Games.
“The doctor reminded me about my Olympic dream and made me realise the importance of making a full recovery.”
The 32-year-old revealed that he felt the strain in his thigh early this year but continued playing because of the All England and the Thomas Cup.
“It got bad after the Indonesia Open, where I lost in the semi-finals, in June.
“I have been training for the last 11 days and though I still feel some pain, I should be ready with rehab. I need to be at my best for the upcoming World Championships and the Asian Games.” said Chong Wei.
The three-time All England champion is one of Malaysia’s gold medal prospects in the Asian Games. “Everyone is expecting me to deliver. I have to accept that as I’m the World No 1 and my results are still good. I want to do better than my silver medal achievement in Guangzhou, four years ago,” he said.
Chong Wei may find winning the world title in Copenhagen easier to achieve in the absence of Lin Dan. The China ace will, however, defend his title in the Asian Games.
Chong Wei has also pledged to perform well in the World Championships later this month though his main focus is on the Asian Games.