KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton World Federation (BWF) today reaffirmed its decision to induct both Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan into the badminton Hall of Fame.
In light of the controversial remarks by 2004 Athens Olympic gold medallist Taufik Hidayat, BWF reiterated that Chong Wei and Lin Dan were worthy recipients for their outstanding contributions to the sport.
Chong Wei, the undisputed King of Super Series with 69 overall titles throughout his senior career, and Lin Dan, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and five-time world champion, were inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony here last month.
However, it did not sit well with Taufik, who questioned the world body's rationale for inducting Chong Wei.
The Indonesian, who also won the 2005 World Championships and the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games, took a swipe at Chong Wei in a recent television interview, saying the Malaysian never won any major trophies throughout his career.
Since then, many have come to the defence of Chong Wei who apart from reaching three consecutive Olympic finals (2012, 2016, 2020), also holds the record for being the only badminton player in history to be ranked world No 1 for more than 300 weeks.
"On recommendation from the BWF Awards Commission, the Council endorsed the nominations of Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei for the Hall of Fame as per the selection criteria outlined in the awards regulations," said BWF secretary-general Thomas Lund today.
"Both are worthy recipients of the accolade for their outstanding contributions to badminton beyond the confines of the court over a significant period of time.
"BWF recognises the achievements and contributions of many legends of the sport and looks forward to inducting more champions into the BWF Hall of Fame in the coming years.
Earlier, another Malaysian badminton legend, Rashid Sidek, backed Chong Wei for the recognition, claiming that the former world No 1 had ticked all the boxes under the selection criteria.
Among the selection criteria stated in the BWF awards regulations are exceptional results and achievements over a full playing career, significant contribution to the sport beyond performances on court, an exemplary role model, and the nominee must have retired from international badminton competition or not been a significant factor on the international circuit for a period of three years or more.