KUALA LUMPUR: Newly-appointed coaching director of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), Wong Choong Hann will give whatever support needed by Datuk Lee Chong Wei.
Choong Hann, 41, who starts his duty at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) today, said the three-time Olympics silver medallist had shown determination and discipline to continue his playing career, despite having been diagnosed with nose cancer.
“We (BAM) are always supportive of whatever Chong Wei’s decision, because he has shown that he knows himself more than anybody else and has the determination and discipline to continue to play.
“We will give whatever support we can for him. Depends on the doctor’s advice and his own assessment of himself,” he told reporters when met at the ABM yesterday.
The former world number one Chong Wei, who announced his decision to return to the badminton court and will be making his fifth appearance at the Olympic Games, is eyeing the elusive gold after ending up with silver medals three times, in the 2008, 2012 and 2016 editions.
The 36-year-old was away from badminton for four months to undergo treatment for cancer in Taiwan and is expected to start training next month, before participating in competitive tournaments next year.
When asked if Chong Wei would be able to bounce back again, Choong Hann said: “We have seen him coming back from challenges; he has shown everybody he can defy everybody’s prediction.
“I do not think time is an issue for him to get into the 2020 Olympics, because his ability is a vital weapon for him,” he added. – Bernama
Choon Hann who reported himself at ABM at 9am, had met with men’s singles chief coach, Datuk Misbun Sidek and women’s singles chief coach, Tey Seu Bock at the Arena Universiti Malaya tracks as early as 6 am.
Besides Misbun and Tey, he will also be monitoring the training under men’s doubles chief coach, Paulus Firman, Rosman Razak (women’s doubles) and Pang Cheh Chang (mixed doubles), as well as the coaches under them.
Choon Hann, a silver medallist at the World Badminton Championship, takes over the duties left by BAM technical director, Morten Frost who resigned in September last year.
BAM president, Datuk Seri Mohamad Norza Zakaria when announcing Choong Hann’s appointment as coaching director after chairing the BAM Extraordinary General Meeting on Oct 20, said one of the latter’s main tasks was to prepare the Malaysian team to the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo.
As a player, Choong Hann had won a silver medal at the World Badminton Championship 2003 in Birmingham, England, twice helping the national squad to qualify for the Thomas Cup finals (1998 and 2002), and was once the world’s number one in the Badminton World Federation ranking, August 2002. – Bernama
