World No 1 Lee threatens to quit BAM, Latest Others News - The New Paper
Sports

World No 1 Lee threatens to quit BAM

World No. 1 Lee blasts Frost, threatens to quit BAM

World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei yesterday threatened to cut ties with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) because of his frosty relationship with technical director Morten Frost of Denmark.

The tension between the two has been longstanding, and the straw that broke the camel's back was the latest knee injury Lee suffered when he slipped and fell at the newly opened Academy Badminton Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday.

The 34-year-old Malaysian reportedly tore a medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss next month's prestigious All England Championships where he would have been gunning for a fourth title.

Lee had complained to technical director Frost and BAM general manager Lawrence Chew about the new centre's slippery court mats but said nothing had been done.

The Malaysia team moved to their new national training centre in the Bukit Kiara suburb of Kuala Lumpur only a week ago.

"This injury could have been avoided," Lee said.

"I told my coach Hendrawan about the slippery condition after Chong Yee Han fell last week.

"I wasn't comfortable playing on it and so did the other players."

Instead of asking about my condition, he asked my coach whether I would retire... why? Lee Chong Wei on Morten Frost

Lee was reported by Malaysian media as saying his often- stormy relationship with Frost had now become strained to breaking point.

"I've lost my patience with Morten. This injury is the last straw," he was quoted as saying in The Star newspaper.

"What's even more hurtful was the way Morten handled my injury.

"Instead of asking about my condition, he asked my coach whether I would retire... why? Doesn't he want me to play on? I'm hurt.

"Now, I've lost my patience and I'm angry... if there's no solution, I'll quit BAM."

In addition, the report said the unhappiness between the duo was unveiled during the build-up to the Rio Olympic Games last August when Frost stopped the junior players from sparring with Lee.

The three-time Olympic men's singles runner-up questioned the rationale behind the Dane's decision to divide the men's singles players into two groups.

Lee said: "Morten does not want me to spar with the juniors... why? When I was a junior, I sparred with my seniors. He did this even before the Olympic Games.

"And why break the team into two? Won't the juniors benefit by sparring with the seniors?"

On his part, Frost said "It's best that I don't comment" when he was contacted.

Lee, who said last month that he hoped to win the 2017 BWF World Championships in Scotland in August before retiring, told AFP yesterday that the association's president had told him that his issues would be settled, without going into further details.

"I don't know. Let's see how it goes," Lee said, when asked if he thought his complaints could be resolved. - WIRE SERVICES

badmintonmalaysia