All England: A Prodigious Talent Arrives
After he’d scrambled for the better part of 51 minutes to land his second All England title, world No.1 Shi Yu Qi would pay the ultimate compliment on the player he’d just beaten: “He deserved the win.”
· DEV SUKUMAR
An admission of this sort is rare; rarer still is that it comes from a No.1 against a world No.22. Yet, Shi knew it had taken him all his experience, and some luck, to dodge a bullet from Lee Chia Hao in the final. His opponent had produced a vintage performance of deception, touch and speed, replete with flicks, slices, delayed shots and unexpected angles which had repeatedly found Shi chasing the shuttle all round the court.
Even as a child, Lee’s prospects were often talked about – to the extent that he recalls he felt pressure while growing up. As the son of a former national champion and coach, and with an elder sibling – Lee Chia Hsin – having played internationally, Chia Hao was expected to carry the family’s tradition.
“We are a badminton family, so people think that I naturally will do well in badminton,” he said. “I’ve had this pressure since when I was young. I’ve been trying to avoid listening to those voices. My family tries to protect me – they encourage me and avoid putting any pressure on me. Ever since I can remember I’ve looked forward to playing at the highest level and to stand on the court and play for the national team. This is one of the motivations to play badminton.”