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<h2>Malaysian badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei says the national players&#8217; subpar performance at the recent PETRONAS Malaysian Open 2024 is due to their insufficient preparation</h2>
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<p><p>According to <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.bharian.com.my/sukan/raket/2024/01/1199824/chong-wei-belasah-pemain-bercuti-ke-luar-negara-menjelang-terbuka">Berita Harian</a>, Lee highlighted the fact that certain players had even taken Christmas vacations abroad prior to the tournament.</p>
<p>&#8220;I saw on social media that some players took vacations overseas despite knowing that the Malaysian Open was scheduled to begin on 9 January. I&#8217;m not saying that you can&#8217;t go on vacation, but you have to consider the timing,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>&#8220;They go on holiday, and by the time they come back, there&#8217;s only a few days left until the tournament. As a former player, I know that you can&#8217;t jump into intensive training immediately after coming back from a vacation,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>The former world number one also said it was important for players to make sacrifices to achieve success, adding that he used to only take one day off for Chinese New Year.﻿</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not attempting to boast about my abilities, but you can ask any coach I played under about my conduct. I knew that I had to make sacrifices to succeed,&#8221; he said.</p>
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<p>                <small class="img-credit">Image via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2024/01/1000877/chong-wei-tears-players-who-holidayed-ahead-malaysian-open" rel="noopener">New Straits Times</a></small>
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<h2>Lee emphasised that, unlike Malaysian players, players from other countries demonstrated a commitment to training even during festive periods</h2>
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<p>&#8220;Players from China, South Korea, and Japan don&#8217;t take breaks during Christmas and the New Year; they stay focused on training,&#8221; he said. </p>
<p>He noted that this dedication contributed to the impressive performances of these players in tournaments.</p>
<p>&#8220;In this Malaysia Open, you can observe the strong performances of players from China, Korea, and Japan. Those who chose to go on vacation faced challenges,&#8221; he said.</p>
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<p class="img-caption">Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan during the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Hall of Fame ceremony last year.</p>
<p>                <small class="img-credit">Image via <a target="_blank" href="https://bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2023/05/26/lin-dan-lee-chong-wei-vow-to-promote-badminton" rel="noopener">BWF Badminton</a></small>
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<h2>Lee said while coaches could help prepare players for tournaments, the onus was on the players themselves</h2>
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<p>&#8220;Securing one championship in a year may be normal, but maintaining ongoing success is challenging. The pivotal factor lies in the players&#8217; determination and aspirations,&#8221; he said. </p>
<p>Reaching the rank of world number one, he added, required more than winning just one championship.</p>
<p>Players, he said, must consistently win seven or eight titles every year, progress to the semifinals, and compete in the finals. The only way to do this, he stressed, was by dedicating oneself to training and making sacrifices.</p>
<p>&#8220;This year holds significance due to the Olympics. Therefore, I hope players realise this and make a comeback,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>Men&#8217;s doubles team Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik were the only representatives from the national squad, who made it to the quarterfinals before losing to South Korean world champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae on 12 January.</p>
<p>Women&#8217;s pair Pearly Tan and M Thinaah, as well as the mixed doubles team, Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei, were eliminated in the first and second rounds, respectively.</p>
<p>In the men&#8217;s singles category, Ng Tze Yong was forced to withdraw from his first-round match against Japan&#8217;s Koki Watanabe due to a lower back muscle injury.</p>
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Lee Chong Wei Criticises M'sian Players For Holidaying Before 2024 Malaysia Open

Lee Chong Wei Criticises M’sian Players For Holidaying Before 2024 Malaysia Open

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<h2>National badminton doubles players Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik jointly earned USD264,022 (RM1.22 million) in international tournaments last year</h2>
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<p><p>The <b>Badminton World Federation (BWF)</b> recently released its <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2024/01/01/axelsen-tops-prize-money-list" title="Link: https://bwfbadminton.com/news-single/2024/01/01/axelsen-tops-prize-money-list">individual prize money summary for the year of 2023</a><b></b>, revealing that <b>the two are Malaysia&#8217;s top earning badminton players of the season.</b></p>
<p>According to the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2024/01/997351/aaron-wooi-yik-rake-rm122m">New Straits Times</a>, they participated in 20 tournaments last year, with majority of the earnings coming from their performance at the 2023 China Open, where they emerged as runners-up, and winning the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://says.com/my/sports/aaron-wooi-yik-win-their-first-world-tour-title" title="Link: https://says.com/my/sports/aaron-wooi-yik-win-their-first-world-tour-title">men&#8217;s doubles title</a> at the 2023 Denmark Open.</p>
<p>The prize money earnings are a noteworthy sum, as it is reported that national players also receive monthly allowances, performance-related bonuses, and individual sponsorships.</p>
<p><b>Aaron-Wooi Yik are the world&#8217;s number four men&#8217;s doubles pair</b>,<b></b> according to BWF rankings.</p>
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<p class="img-caption">National shuttlers Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik after clinching the men&#8217;s doubles title at the 2023 Denmark Open.</p>
<p>                <small class="img-credit">Image via <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AaronChia24/status/1716218875270795661" rel="noopener">@AaronChia24 (X)</a></small>
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<h2>Other Malaysian badminton players also appeared in BWF&#8217;s 2023 prize money summary, including Lee Zii Jia, Ng Tze Yong, Chen Tang Jie, and Toh Ee Wei</h2>
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<p><p><b>Lee amassed USD109,805 (RM510,000) over 19 appearances</b>, with most of the earnings coming from <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://says.com/my/sports/lee-zii-jia-wins-arctic-open-title-ends-his-17-month-drought">his title win</a> at the 2023 Artic Open.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Ng, who made headlines for <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://says.com/my/sports/malaysia-s-ng-tze-yong-defeats-viktor-axelsen-all-england">toppling world number one</a> Viktor Axelsen at the All England quarter-finals earlier last year, <b>won a total of USD73,530 (RM341,000)</b>, with the majority earned by finishing second to Lee at the Artic Open.</p>
<p>Mixed doubles pair <b>Tang Jie-Ee Wei pocketed a combined total of USD135,096 (RM626,000)</b> from their <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://says.com/my/sports/malaysian-chen-tang-jie-toh-ee-wei-wins-orleans-masters-bandminton-title">two title wins</a> at the Taiwan Open and the Orleans Masters, as well as their semifinalist spot at the China Open.</p>
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<p class="img-caption">Lee Zii Jia.</p>
<p>                <small class="img-credit">Image via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2023/10/963354/zii-jia-goes-down-fighting-prannoy-hangzhou" rel="noopener">Asyraf Hamzah/New Straits Times</a></small>
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<p class="img-caption">Ng Tze Yong.</p>
<p>                <small class="img-credit">Image via <a target="_blank" href="https://nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2023/03/889989/tze-yong-upsets-world-no-1-axelsen-reach-all-england-q-finals" rel="noopener">Reuters/New Straits Times</a></small>
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<p class="img-caption">Toh Ee Wei (left) and Chen Tang Jie.</p>
<p>                <small class="img-credit">Image via <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nst.com.my/sports/badminton/2023/04/901904/ee-wei-tang-jie-relish-bigger-challenges-ahead" rel="noopener">New Straits Times</a></small>
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<h2>World number one Axelsen from Denmark was the highest prize money earner of the season, with USD645,095 (RM2.99 million)</h2>
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<p><p>He won six BWF World Tour men&#8217;s singles events in 2023.</p>
<p>South Korea&#8217;s women&#8217;s singles powerhouse An Se Young was second on the list, finishing with USD628,020 (RM2.92 million) in earnings after winning eight BWF World Tour﻿&nbsp;titles in the year.</p>
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<p>The Malaysian men&#8217;s singles player hopes that the fan won&#8217;t repeat his behaviour.</p>
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BWF Reveals Aaron-Wooi Yik Won RM1.22 Million In Prize Money In 2023