Lin Dan Says He’ll Only Retire If Lee Chong Wei Decides To Hang His Racquet For Good

And whenever one speaks of Chong Wei, one couldn’t help but to think of his famed rival – China’s Lin Dan.

Their rivalry has formed for many years and in fact, probably more than a decade. Malaysia has witnessed several gut-wrenching clashes on court between the both of them and some of the more memorable ones would obviously be during the Olympic Games.

And speaking of the Olympics, during a recent interview at the Malaysia Open in Axiata Arena, Lin Dan was asked if he would try to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

He says that he will continue to play even at his age of 35 years old.

“I am still playing because I want to challenge myself, because previously there were no other players at my age still playing at this level,” Lin Dan told Bernama.

“I also want to set a good example for young players to be at this high level. Set a good example for young players to follow my footsteps.”

When asked when will he decide to hang his racquet up for good, Lin Dan responded by saying Lee Chong Wei is one of the reasons he’s still playing.

“It’s also because Chong Wei himself has not yet retired, which is what keeps me on the court. Both of us are still fighting hard for a place in the Olympics together,” he told The Star.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist also added that he’s “very fortunate” that he has no injuries or body pain that may prevent him from playing.

“If I do have any pain or injuries, then maybe I will retire. As long as I’m fit, I want to qualify for the Olympics.”

Perhaps their on-court relationship is akin to Messi and Ronaldo, Sasuke and Naruto or that of Goku and Vegeta; they’re a formidable duo every sporting fan looks forward to watching in badminton.

Hey, who knows the both of them will qualify for the Olympics and play against each other in the finals again?