Lee Chong Wei not convinced long-time rival Lin Dan can make a fifth Olympic appearance in Tokyo

Retired badminton star Lee Chong Wei is not convinced his long-time rival Lin Dan of China can make a fifth consecutive appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year as age is always “the biggest obstacle to any shuttler”.

The former Malaysian ace, who lost twice to Lin in an Olympic men’s singles final, said in an online programme that he still maintained close contact with the mainland China star after his retirement last year and there is still the possibility the duo could join forces for some promotion work in future.

But, he said, this is not the right moment as Lin, 36, is still focusing on his qualification campaign for the 2020 Tokyo Games, which has been pushed back to next summer.

“I won’t disturb him at this moment as Lin still wants to play one more time in the Olympic Games,” said 37-year-old Lee, who bagged three Olympic silver medals during his career. “But Lin now ranks behind his fellow compatriots Chen Long and Shi Yuqi and it will be very difficult for him to secure the Tokyo Games ticket.

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“In badminton, it’s not easy for older players to compete against the youngsters.”

A nation can only send two players in the Olympic singles provided they are both in the top 16. Fifth-placed Chen is the highest-ranked Chinese player in the qualifiers at the moment, followed by Shi, who is ninth, while Lin is in 19th spot.

The qualification campaign was due to be completed in late April but the worldwide spread of coronavirus stopped all major badminton tournaments after the All England Open in early March. The world governing body has yet to announce any update on the system.

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Lee said he would be looking forward to playing Lin again in an exhibition match, but that would now probably take place only after Lin also retires.

The rivalry between the two star players over the last decade was often a heated topic of debate in badminton. Lin has the upper hand in the pair’s head to head, leading 28-12 over their last 40 meetings, including the two Olympic finals in 2008 in Beijing and 2012 in London. After capturing two Olympic silver medals, Lee finally defeated Lin in the semi-finals at the 2016 Rio Games but then fell short in the final where he lost to another mainlander, Chen Long, for his third Olympic silver. The last time they met was in the 2018 All England Open when Lin prevailed after two games in the quarter-finals.

Lin made his Olympic debut at the 2004 Athens when he suffered a surprising early exit in the first round. Despite his age, he is still attempting a fifth appearance in Tokyo next year.

In a CCTV programme last month, Lin said he had not given up his Olympic hopes despite all these difficulties because he wanted to set a good example for his three-year-old son.