Badminton

KUALA LUMPUR: Whether or not Malaysian shuttlers Lee Chong Wei and Wong Mew Choo strike gold at next month’s Olympic Games, they will at least feel the love.    

Both players are set to receive a stream of notes of encouragement from all members of Malaysia’s national and back-up badminton squads after a decree by mental coach Frederick Tan.

“It will be good for Chong Wei and Mew Choo to hear positive messages every day,” Tan told The Star.

“They will know that they are not alone in their mission to win at the Olympics. It is a good activity to show that everyone cares and support these players.

“Mental preparation is really important — especially as the players prepare for a big event like the Olympics.

“My job is just to help them feel more relaxed in their approach,” he said.

Top-ranked Malaysian man Chong Wei is rated the world’s second best player behind China’s Lin Dan and is a favourite for gold at Beijing’s Aug 8-24 Olympics. Mew Choo lies 10th in the women’s rankings.

Despite his lofty ranking, Chong Wei is taking nothing for granted.

“It is difficult to point the finger at one or two favourites. The previous winners of the Olympics were not the favourites.

“It is dangerous to underestimate anyone,” he said.

“In the last three international tournaments, we saw players going the extra mile to win. They are catching up.” — Reuters