Kuala Lumpur: Thomas Cup isn’t about Lee Chong Wei anymore. It’s about the team. This Thomas Cup is going to be tough for Malaysia, mainly because besides World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, there is no other player who can guarantee to secure a second or third point. Having said that, players like Daren Liew, Chong Wei Feng, Goh V Shem-Lim Khim Wah, Hoon Thien How-Tan Wee Kiong, or even Tan Boon Heong-Chan Peng Soon, if they can rediscover their form, they are more than capable of beating anyone on their day.
On Monday, Lee Chong Wei displayed great leadership by urging his teammate to be fearless and relentless. He wanted his teammate to keep scrapping and keep coming at their opponent until the bitter end. “We have nothing to lose in the Thomas Cup. I’ve told Wei Feng and Daren to stay positive. Everyone should be fearless and confident, “said Chong Wei.
“When we are on the court, we should play smart and never feel nervous. If we lose because we afraid of our opponent, thus, couldn’t play the game to the best of our ability, then we are wasting everybody’s time and effort.”
“If we play our best but lose to a better opponent, that’s a different story. It is also important that we try and learn how to bounce back from every defeat.”
Chong Wei also said there will not be any family members going with the team to New Delhi.
Talking about his role in the team this time, Chong Wei said he is ready to take on anyone and secure a point for Malaysia.
“If I could secure the first point, guys that play after me would feel less pressure and hopefully they would perform better.”
“We will be leaving on Thursday, and we will try to get use to the Siri Fort Sports Complex before our opening game.”
Malaysia’s Thomas Cup team is drawn with South Korea, Germany and India in Group C. Only top two teams of each group will advance to the knockout stages, Malaysia will need to win all game in Group C to avoid seeded teams in the quarter-finals.
