Ewe Hock believes only mental toughness is deciding factor in Chong Wei, Lin Dan tussles
The former badminton maestro of Malaysia, Ong Ewe Hock praised the skills of top two shuttlers of the world, Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan and commented that they are equal in terms of skills so only mental toughness decides the winner whenever they meet in
the arena.
Both shuttlers are rated as badminton greats of all time as the Chinese ace Lin Dan has become the first ever to complete a Grand Slam after winning all nine major tournaments of the world while the Malaysian King Lee Chong Wei has been sitting at top of
the world rankings for last three years.
Former National Champion Ewe Hock stated that both giants have been blessed with equal abilities so it is just the game of nerves whenever they enter in court against each other and the one with better mental fitness wins the encounter always.
He said, “They are skilful and are special with their own styles but, eventually, the outcome of matches between these two players boils down to who is mentally stronger.”
Ewe Hock also referred to an epic match of tennis to strengthen his statement. He mentioned the Australian Open 2012 final when Novak Djokovic delivered a stunner against Rafael Nadal. He believes Djokovic prevailed due only to his strong nerves.
He said, “Remember this year’s Australian Open final. Physically, Djokovic was a spent force but he showed great mental strength to win it.”
Meanwhile, the Malaysian living legend also gave some suggestions about the coaching system of Malaysia and stated that the Malaysian team does not need too many coaches rather just a powerful chief coach will do the work.
Former world number two player got a bit nostalgic as he recalled his era when several Malaysian shuttlers used to sit at top position in the world.
Ewe Hock said, “I was under seven coaches — Yang Yang, Han Jian, Morten Frost Hansen, Misbun Sidek, Chen Changjie, Park Joo-bong and Indra Gunawan. I think Malaysia’s singles enjoyed their best year under Indra. We had about five to seven players in the
top rankings.”
He also emphasised that the Badminton Association of Malaysia must not ignore the domestic players and should provide them basic facilities to elevate their craft. He hoped that the authorities will take his suggestions seriously for the betterment of domestic
badminton structure.
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