KUALA LUMPUR: National men's singles Lee Chong Wei aims to be the first Malaysian to achieve more than four men’s singles titles at the All England.
He starts his campaign in Birmingham on Mar 14-18.
“The feeling is always different in the All England as it is the most prestigious ‘Open’ event.
“Many have asked why do I still play in this tournament and my reply is always — I want to be the most successful Malaysian in the tournament,” said Chong Wei at the Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara on Friday.
Chong’s Wei’s fourth title last year equalled the record held by former national shuttlers Wong Peng Soon and Eddy Choong.
“In the past, people always spoke about the All England as it is the most oldest tournament.
“It has never been easy to win the title there. Though I have won it four times, I still have the desire to do it again.
"I will give my best regardless of who I play. Most importantly is to take things one match at a time.
“Ygor Coelho of Brazil is my opponent in the first round, I cannot underestimate him," said Chong Wei.
The World No 2 said it will not be easy for him to retain the title this time.
"I still have a couple of weeks to prepare myself. I want to be at my best," Chong Wei added
Chong Wei’s previous wins at the All England were achieved in 2010, 2011 and 2014.
Meanwhile, BA of Malaysia (BAM) president Datuk Seri Norza Zakaria said the national team will not review their target of three gold medals for the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast.
"There will be no changes to our target. We realise how much England and India have improved over the years, but our target remains the same.
“One of our goals is to retain our team title,” said Norza.