Rashid Sidek wants Malaysian players to forget everything for earning glory at London Olympics
Rashid Sidek, the bronze medallist of 1996 Atlanta Olympics and current national coach of Malaysia, wants players to set aside their difference and also forget all other things to remain focused for earning glory at the upcoming London Olympics which will
kick off in England at the ending week of current month.
Rashid defeated Indonesia’s legendary shuttler Hariyanto Arbi in the bronze medal match and became the first Malaysian Men’s Singles player to win a medal for his country.
While talking about his preparation and performance in Atlanta Olympics, Rashid said that he was focused and determined to win a medal. He further stated that self motivation plays a vital role in earning success.
The coach said, “I was just so determined to win a medal at any cost. The Malaysian team had returned home with a medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games and I wanted to add to that collection. I treated the Olympic outing as though it was my last as I was not
sure what would happen four years down the road.”
Rashid wants the top shuttlers including Lee Chong Wei in Men’s Singles and Tan Boon Heong – Koo Kien Keat in Men’s Doubles to remain focused to win a medal at the upcoming London Olympics.
While talking about the importance of Olympics, Rashid wants shuttlers to put their personal differences aside and also forget about all other things that create distraction and can destroy their chances to win a medal at the mega event.
The coach also expressed that World Number Two Chong Wei is a strong shuttler and he knows well what it takes to earn glory.
However, he showed a little concern over the prospects of Tan Boon and Kien Keat by saying that they should forget about the personal differences in order to get their target at London Olympics.
Rashid stated, “This is the biggest sporting stage and it’s worth forgetting about everything else. Chong Wei has the experience and knows what it takes. Koo and Tan have the potential but must also set aside their differences.”
Malaysia stands a good chance to win a medal in Men’s Singles category if Chong Wei fully recovers from his ankle injury ahead of Olympics.
However, many think that winning a medal in Men’s Doubles from Tan Boon and Kien Keat is an uphill task considering their poor performance for the last couple of years.
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