KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 ― The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) should set a more realistic medal target for the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games after national shuttler Datuk Lee Chong Wei withdrew from the 18th edition of the Games which is set to be held from August 19 to September 2.

Its secretary-general Datuk Ng Chin Chai said it was undeniable that Chong Wei’s absence at the 18th Asian Games had made it difficult for the national contingent to bring home at least two medals in men's singles and team events.

Yesterday, BAM announced that the player would not participate in the BWF World Championships scheduled for July 30 to August 5 in Nanjing, China, and the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games set to be held from August 19 to September 2 in Indonesia due to a respiratory-related disorder.

"It is a big hit to the national squad, we have to set a lower medal target. Previously, with Chong Wei being in the squad, we have the chance to win two medals. For me, young shuttlers should take this opportunity to prove their capability.

"Datuk Misbun Sidek will propose several names soon as we don’t have much time. We have few names in the list to replace Chong Wei at the the Asian Games such as Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, Lim Chi Wing, Tan Jia Wei,” he told reporters at the Malaysian Badminton Academy (ABM), Bukit Kiara here today.

Meanwhile, Misbun said he believed that Chong Wei whom he described as a fighter would be able to handle the situation well.

"He rarely gets sick for a long time. I hope that Chong Wei will recover soon, I believe that he is a fighter,” he said adding that it would not be an easy task to another Chong Wei in the next 20 years.

However, Misbun said he would continue striving to help young shuttlers to achieve their competitive performance in badminton. ― Bernama