Lee Chong Wei not convinced long-time rival Lin Dan can make a fifth Olympic appearance in Tokyo
- Age not on Lin Dan’s side as the 36-year-old continues to fall short against younger compatriots
- Lin Dan continues to chase Olympic dream in order to set a good example for his young son
Retired badminton star Lee Chong Wei is not convinced his long-time rival Lin Dan of China can make a fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year as age is always “the biggest obstacle to any shuttler”.
The former Malaysian ace, who lost twice to Lin in an Olympic men’s singles final, said in an online programme that he still maintained close contact with the mainland China star after his retirement last year and there is still the possibility the duo could join forces for some promotion work in future.
But, he said, this is not the right moment as Lin, 36, is still focusing on his qualification campaign for the 2020 Tokyo Games, which has been pushed back to next summer.
“I won’t disturb him at this moment as Lin still wants to play one more time in the Olympic Games,” said 37-year-old Lee, who bagged three Olympic silver medals during his career. “But Lin now ranks behind his fellow compatriots Chen Long and Shi Yuqi and it will be very difficult for him to secure the Tokyo Games ticket.
“In badminton, it’s not easy for older players to compete against the youngsters.”