Ahmad Shabery worried about space produced by Lee Chong Wei’s retirement after 2012 Olympics

Lee Chong Wei is regarded as the king of badminton and one of the most renowned personalities with regard to badminton, not only in Malaysia, but throughout the world. Currently, he is the number one badminton player in the world.

Recently, Lee Chong Wei announced that he would be quitting from his badminton career after participating in the London Olympics in 2012. He said in an interview that he has made this decision because he wants to make way for other young and talented badminton
players from Malaysia, to brighten their names in the arena of badminton. He further added that if other badminton players from Malaysia would shine in world badminton, it would be an honour for him and his country.

Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, the Youth and Sports Minister of Malaysia, said in an interview that Lee Chong Wei’s decision to retire is embarrassing for Malaysian Badminton since it would be difficult to replace him with a player possessing similar caliber
as Lee. He further said that the back-up players Malaysia has after Lee Chong, fail to reflect the stamina, courage and confidence, necessary to represent Malaysia in international tournaments. Lee’s tremendous achievements globally, in the arena of badminton,
are a result of the player’s stamina, courage and confidence.

At a Parents Teachers Association meeting in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman, Ahmed Shabery said that although Malaysia is not the only country which is facing a dearth of back-up players, but losing a country’s number one player is a major
loss. If Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia retires, it would be a difficult task for Indonesia Badminton Association to fulfill his seat with another back-up player of similar stature, as well.

Ahmed Shabery said that a National Badminton Academy will be constructed next year in Malaysia, which will be a great ray of hope for badminton in Malaysia. This academy would be fully equipped with all possible training and practice facilities for preparing
highly talented badminton players. The talented youth of Malaysia would be admitted in the academy with the purpose of training themselves in accord with international standards.