Lee Chong Wei chooses long-time rival Lin Dan as greatest ever badminton player

Badminton's Former World No. 1 Lee Chong Wei recently revealed that he managed to reach greater heights thanks to his fierce rivalry with China’s Lin Dan. Lee announced his retirement from badminton in 2019 after undergoing treatment for nose cancer. While speaking in a Facebook Live session, Lee Chong Wei revealed that Lin Dan pushed him to greater heights, which is why he considers him as the greatest player of all time. 

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Lee Chong Wei Lin Dan rivalry history

The Lee Chong Wei Lin Dan rivalry has given fans several memorable matches in the past and both shuttlers are considered as the greatest men’s players to have graced the court. The Lee Chong Wei Lin Dan rivalry has seen the duo face each other 40 times in their career with Lin Dan holding a 28-12 record against Lee Chong Wei.

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Lee Chong Wei reveals why he considers Lin Dan as the greatest player

During the Facebook Live session, the three-time Olympic silver medallist said he chose his rival, Lin Dan, as the greatest player because he’s a legend and the Lin Dan Olympic medals and titles speak for themselves. Wei claimed that badminton fans need to salute him for his career. Wei lost to Dan in two Olympic finals (2008 and 2012) and two World Championship finals (2011 and 2013) in his illustrious career. Lee spent a total of 348 weeks as World No. 1 but never won a world or Olympic title, after falling short in nail-biting showdowns with Lin Dan.

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Lee Chong Wei Lin Dan rivalry: Wei claims his obsession with Dan inspired him to do well

During the Facebook Live session, the 37-year-old said revealed that Dan was inside his head when he got back to training after every loss. He added that he knew in order to win important tournaments he had to beat Dan, which is why he was never relaxed. He further said that even when he was cramping up during the play, he told his coach he wanted to continue training because Lin Dan was waiting for him.

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(IMAGE: LEE CHONG WEI / INSTAGRAM)