LCW

He came up short again. This time his aching muscles gave way but he fought through to the end, and was stretchered out of the court.

Poor Dato' Lee Chong Wei again showed what he was made off and did the nation proud. It was a game of high quality and clearly he was irked and distracted at the beginning of the second set. Maybe it was gamesmanship from the organiser again we would never know.

A very tactical game, more like a chess match. Both players were tired but at the end his age took its toll. I don't think LCW would ever win the World Championship he was craving for. He would be too old for the Olympics on three years time one would think.

We need a new generation of shuttlers to carry the weight on his shoulders. But as it stood, the search would be a long one .....

Not-so-great Ending

It was a not-so-great end to a wonderful weekend. First, Dato' Lee Chong Wei appeared lethargic in what could have been his third All-England title in five years. He was clearly not in his best form, and quite rightly, was beaten by Cheng Long in straight set.

Then, I took a nap and set my alarm for then Man United-Chelsea match. It was already the second half when I woke up, and I caught Chelsea pegging United back from two goals behind. We were lucky that we did not get beat. At least there would be a return leg at Stamford Bridge. So, it could've been worst ....

Well Done Great Sir

We couldn't ask for more than an honest effort. And we certainly got that aplenty from our legend, Datuk Lee Chong Wei. Well Sir, it was unfortunate that you played in the same era as one of the great ever in Lin Dan. You have given us great joy and excitement. And I was pretty sure that was what the Olympics stood for. A good honest effort, from good honest athletes.

Again, it came down to belief. And I think we all realised that if Chong Wei were ever able to win the gold medal, he should have clinched it in the second set. Letting Lin Dan back in was his downfall, and once Lin Dan smelt blood, there was no turning back. Despite that, Ching Wei did not capitulate. He kept on fighting. The bad line call at 8-5 played a role, and Lin Dan capitalised by winning six of the next seven points.

I was watching the medal ceremony as I was blogging this. He was in tears, and I could understand why.

Datuk Lee Chong Wei, we salute you!

LCW, FTW!

I was hoping to catch the Lee Chong Wei - Simon Santoso match while waiting for admissions, but it started later than expected. I ended up driving back home right after seeing my last patient. When I got to the apartment, the match had already ended. Chong Wei won straight set. Great results as everyone was still concerned about his injured knee. I guessed he recovered in time.

Dato' LCW, we salute you!

Another gutsy performance by our Datuk, but yet again he came up short. This time by the finest of margins. He could have easily taken the Championship at 21-20, but it wasn't to be. He tried. And he again made us proud. The question now is who to fill his shoes when he finally call it a day?

The rest of the Malaysian contingent has been disappointing, especially the Koo-Tan partnership which carried the nation's hopes in the doubles. Apart from them, we had nothing much to show for in the major competitions.

Time to take stock, learn and look to the future. I didn't think Chong Wei would be the force he was today after next summers' Olympics. He had almost single-handedly carried the nation's hope for the past few years. And he did us proud. We had to get the next generation of players to step up to the plate and be counted.

So, here's to Chong Wei. Well done. A true Malaysian hero!