Tokyo Olympics: Hong Kong shuttler Lee Cheuk-yiu on course to qualify for 2020 Games
- Lee benefits from behind closed doors training because of pandemic outbreak and only needs to make up two places in rankings to achieve qualification target
- Qualification resumes this month and will close after Singapore Open in early June
The behind-closed-doors training environment enforced by the Coronavirus pandemic has benefited Hong Kong shuttler Lee Cheuk-yiu, who is gearing his efforts towards his Olympic dream as he stands on the cusp of qualification.
Lee, the 2019 Hong Kong Open champion, was 18th in the qualifying rankings as the campaign resumed this month. A nation can send two singles players to Tokyo this summer if they are both in the top 16. Hong Kong’s No 1, Angus Ng Ka-long, is in the eighth spot.
“We have great confidence that Lee can follow in the footsteps of Ng to become the second men’s singles player to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics,” said badminton head coach Tim He Yiming. “He has made good progress in his training over the last couple of months in a behind-closed-doors environment as he is very focused. The results in the two Thailand Opens in January speak to that.
“Lee is a much more solid player now, mentally and physically, even better than the time when he lifted the Hong Kong Open championship in 2019. If he can keep the same attitude and stay focused, he can definitely raise his standard to a higher level.”
With the All England Open kicking off in Birmingham on Wednesday, the badminton world will once again focus on a possible clash between world No 1 Kento Momota of Japan and Viktor Axelsen of Denmark, currently the hottest player on the circuit. But the Hong Kong team will not be there and is still working hard in the training hall at the Sports Institute in Fo Tan.