Kuala Lumpur: Ever since Lee Chong Wei tore his medial collateral ligament (MCL) on his left knee last Saturday during a training session, tensions have been reportedly boiling in Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) between Lee Chong Wei and BAM’s technical director Morten Frost.
Lee shot back at Frost after learning Frost had told a close associate that Lee’s was at the end of his career after his latest injury.
The World No. 1 badminton superstar stressed that he would make his own decision about his retirement, Frost had ‘no right’ and could not give orders about when he would hang up his racket.
“The decision to step away from the court and retire from badminton is mine. For a long time I have kept silent, but I am not going to hold back anymore,” said Lee.
The 35-year-old badminton legend also revealed that this was not the first time Frost had hinted that he should retire from badminton, Frost raised the same topic after the Olympic Games in Rio last year.
Lee told Malaysian media that he has always represented Malaysia with pride, and he plays badminton because he enjoys and for the love of it. At no time has money or fame playing an important part of it.
“I have gone through many ups and downs in my career, the reason why I am still playing badminton because I love the sport, not because of money or fame,” added Lee.
“Even Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin never asked me if I am going to retire, why him (Morten Frost)?”
While this was not the first time Lee had feud with Morten Frost – who was credited with moving Lee Chong Wei into the Malaysian national team nearly twenty years ago he was the then BAM national coach; in 2015, Lee was extremely frustrated when Frost rejected his request sending a sparring partner by his side throughout the 2015 Japan Open and 2015 Korea Open.
