Kuala Lumpur: After returning from the 2016 Rio Olympics, World No. 1 men’s singles shuttler Lee Chong Wei only had barely one week of rest before returning to training to get ready for the Japan Open Superseries that will kick off on Sept 20th.
“I have other duties to perform, that’s why I only rested for a week after the Olympic Games. Furthermore, I need to start focusing on the Japanese Open that starts in two weeks,” said Lee Chong Wei at a ceremony held by one of his sponsors on Monday.
When asked about when he would be going to take a break from badminton, Lee did not seem too worried about getting more rest.
“All of those things can wait a little, since I am planning to play at the 2017 World Championships, I would like to keep my focus and keep training towards that. After all, I’ll have plenty of time to rest after my retirement,” added Lee.
After the Rio Olympics, Lee has been asked numerous times whether he will play until the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he has also repeatedly replied with similar answer.
“I am not going to think about it now. My current focus is on the 2017 World Championships. If I am injury-free, and my body is still in good shape, then, I will decide about the 2020 Olympics.”
His sponsor awarded Lee Chong Wei with cash prize of RM 36,666.66 at the ceremony, while his coaches Hendrawan and Tey Seu Bock also received RM5,000 each for their contributions in Rio.