Lee Chong Wei set to weather Sudirman Cup return
Malaysian No 1, who is back in action after eight-month backdated doping ban, expects rivals to test his rustiness ahead of Rio Olympics
A chastened Lee Chong Wei returns to action at the Sudirman Cup tomorrow after a doping case that threatened to put paid to his career and Olympic title ambitions.
The long-time world number one will lead Malaysia in Dongguan, two weeks after escaping with a backdated eight-month ban for accidentally ingesting a banned anti-inflammatory.
The mixed-teams event is a fresh start for the two-time Olympic silver medallist, whose ranking has dropped to 45 since the positive test on a sample given last August and his subsequent suspension in November.
I'm aware that Srikanth and Wan-ho have been playing really well. They are a danger to anybody
It also represents the first step along a road that the 32-year-old hopes will end with an Olympic gold next year in Rio, after his near-misses in 2008 and 2012.
His doping ban expired on May 1 and any rustiness could be punished in Malaysia's early matches against South Korea and India, whose rising stars Son Wan-ho and Kidambi Srikanth are both ranked in the top 10.
Further down the track, Lee could run into his perennial nemesis Lin Dan, playing in front of his home fans along with top-ranked Chen Long as China seek a 10th Sudirman Cup title.
"I'm aware that Srikanth and Wan-ho have been playing really well. They are a danger to anybody," Lee told Malaysia's Star newspaper.
"But I don't feel it'll be a problem for me. I'll just go and try my best as the pressure is not on me."