CONGRATULATIONS to Lee Chong Wei. It is no mean feat to win an Olympic silver medal. Chong Wei has come far under the guidance of Misbun Sidek and also through a lot of hard work on his own.

He battled through the early rounds and showed superb resilience in winning his semifinal match which led him to his showdown with Lin Dan.

However, Chong Wei’s performance in the final was disgraceful. He lacked imagination, was nervous from the start and did not even come close to fulfilling his promise of “fighting to death”.

Over the months, Chong Wei has definitely proven to be a very good player but he does not come close to being champion material. His performance has never been consistent and he more often than not freezes when it matters most. This is not what champions are made of.

In comparison, Lin Dan has shown he can perform at a high level consistently throughout the year, tournament after tournament.

What is even more disappointing is the reception and accolades Chong Wei is receiving at home. As mentioned by Y.A.K of Kuala Lumpur (NST, Aug 21), we have to put a stop to our “loser mentality”.

We have spent a lot of taxpayers’ money on Chong Wei and being the second seed, a silver medal was the least he should deliver.

But we reward him with even more taxpayers’ money for being second-best. We are even throwing in a Datukship for good measure.

No doubt Chong Wei deserves some kind of recognition for his success. However, I do feel we have gone a little overboard.

Future athletes will now be looking at financial rewards more than the glory of sports and pride of the country.

Perhaps Chong Wei is just a beneficiary of the political situation in the country. But while he is a winner, the taxpayers and the future of sports in this country will have to take a back seat.

V.M.Penang

Source: NST – August 26, 2008