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| Human Interest | |
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General Interest | |
| Injuries | In February 2017 he tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee after slipping during a training session. He returned to competition in March that year. (hindustantimes.com, 12 Mar 2017; scmp.com, 08 Mar 2017) A thigh injury prevented him from competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (bbc.co.uk, 05 Jul 2014) In May 2012 he tore a tendon in his ankle during a Thomas Cup group match against Denmark in Wuhan, People's Republic of China. He spent two months on the sidelines. (thestar.com.my, 08 Nov 2013; thestar.com.my, 23 May 2012) In March 2012 he suffered a shoulder injury. (timesofindia.com, 30 Apr 2012) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | He preferred playing basketball when he was younger, but his mother was not keen on him playing outside because it was so hot. Instead, his father introduced him to badminton and Lee soon attracted the attention of a local coach, who asked to take him on as a student. With his father's permission, Lee began training with the coach after school. |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | Chinese badminton player Sun Jun. (fourthofficial.com, 20 Aug 2015) |
| Awards and honours | He was Malaysia's flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. (nst.com.my, 06 Aug 2016) He was named the Badminton World Federation's [BWF] Male Player of the Year in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. (badmintonplanet.com, 26 May 2014; bwfbadminton.org, 12 Dec 2011) In 2008 he received the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri [DSPN] from the state of Penang, Malaysia. The award allows him to carry the title of Datuk. (straitstimes.com, 12 Nov 2014) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Datuk Misbun Sidek [national], MAS |
| Handedness | Right |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He began playing badminton at age 11. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
| Languages | English, Hokkien, Malay, Mandarin |
General Interest | |
| Other information | IN REMISSION In November 2018 he revealed that he was in remission after suffering from early-stage nose cancer. The original diagnosis kept him out of the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, and the 2018 World Championships in Nanjing, People's Republic of China. "I finished all my treatment and have recovered very well. I want to come back to court. I am not retiring. This is a time that is very tough for me." (bbc.co.uk, 08 Nov 2018) SANCTION He tested positive for the banned substance dexamethasone at the 2014 World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. In April 2015 he was given an eight-month suspension by the Badminton World Federation [BWF], backdated to 30 August 2014. Lee claimed the substance had entered his system while he was receiving treatment for a thigh injury in July 2014. (olympictalk.nbcsports.com, 27 Apr 2015; olympictalk.nbcsports.com, 08 Nov 2014) NATIONAL FIRST In 2008 he became the first Malaysian badminton player to reach the men's singles final at the Olympic Games. His silver medal in Beijing was the first time a Malaysian athlete had stood on the Olympic podium in any sport since the 1996 Games in Atlanta. (howtobadminton.com, 17 Nov 2014; SportsDeskOnline, 03 May 2018) BIOPIC In March 2018 a biographical film about him titled 'Lee Chong Wei: Rise of the Legend' was released and premiered in front of over 20,000 people in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (thestar.com.my, 10 Mar 2018, 21 Dec 2017) BOOK In 2012 he released an autobiography titled 'Dare to be a Champion'. (cliveworld.com, 06 Sep 2012) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Kuala Lumpur, MAS |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Petaling Jaya Badminton Club [PJBC]: Malaysia |
General Interest | |
| Famous relatives | His wife Mew Choo Wong has also represented Malaysia in badminton, and competed at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. (Facebook profile, 09 Mar 2018; SportsDeskOnline, 03 May 2018) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Talent is needed, but that alone will not bring you success. Dedication, perseverance and self-discipline are necessary as well." (badminton-information.com, 25 May 2008) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Wife Wong Mew Choo, sons Kingston Lee and Terrance |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (bbc.co.uk, 08 Nov 2018) |