KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 12 — Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin suggested today that foul play might have been behind Lee Chong Wei’s heart-breaking loss in the World Badminton Championship in China yesterday.
Lee suffered from severe leg cramps in the final set and was forced to concede to Chinese superstar and arch-rival Lin Dan with the score at 16-21, 21-13, 20-17.
“We’re not sore losers. But in this case, I felt that there was something amiss. Especially when we received the report about Lee’s condition,” said Khairy in a string of tweets today.
During the second set of the final, the air conditioning system was shut off following earlier complaints of strong drafts affecting the flight of the shuttlecocks at the venue in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Considering Lee’s cramp and dehydration during the match, Khairy stressed that the move had played a huge factor in determining the result.
Khairy also said that Lee executed several errors in the second set as he had acclimated to the draft that had been present due to the air conditioning.
“I was told that the air conditioning was shut off in the second set to reduce draft in Lin’s side,” the Rembau MP said.
The minister also explained that the lack of air conditioning also hampered Lee who went through three sets in his semi-final matches, compared to Lin who only needed two sets to qualify.
“I have asked BAM to explained why our squad manager did not complaint about the air conditioning issue since it only happened during the men’s final,” Khairy added.
National singles coach Tey Seu Bock mirrored Khairy’s opinion when he lashed out over the decision earlier, despite Lee being among those who mentioned the draft earlier in the tournament.
“A defeat is a defeat. I can accept it but I cannot tolerate the organisers switching off the air conditioner in the second game,” Tey told English daily The Star today.
“It was so hot inside... This is not right. The players were suffering. At one point, Chong Wei was struggling to breathe.”
Khairy’s suggestion received support from former deputy minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah today, who called for an investigation into the questionable decision.
“I agree. If we had lost with a clear factor, we would have accepted it,” Saifuddin replied to Khairy.
Kedah Gerakan Youth Chief Tan Keng Liang however claimed that a player should have adapted to game conditions, just like his opponent would have.
“In sports, u can’t blame the wind, heat or air conditioning system,” Tan tweeted today in an apparent response to Khairy.
“I support Lee Chong Wei 100% & salute his gutsy performance. But let’s not use air-conditioning system 2justify defeat. That’s disrespectful.”
The rivalry between the two greats has headlined men’s singles for years but Lin has continually gotten the better of Lee in high-profile events, and yesterday’s episode adds to the list of world and Olympic finals defeats Lee has suffered at Lin’s hands.
