A year has passed since the legend announced the end of his 25-year journey in competitive badminton. On June 13, 2019, in front of the international media, Lee Chong Wei broke down in tears while giving his retirement speech. Overcome with emotions, his body trembled as he said thanks to his coaches and his team.
Lee Chong Wei shared the memories of his feelings leading up to the day of his retirement on his social media accounts.
“It will never be the same for me again, but I think I have made the right decision. After all, I have given my all, my best, although sometimes the best may not be good enough,” Lee wrote.
Retirement was a tough decision for Lee Chong Wei. Lee was diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer in 2018. He was told by doctors that his body would not be able to handle the pressure of intensive badminton training. He underwent treatment in Taiwan with the intention of returning to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. But in the end he was forced to retire on the advice of his doctors.
Lee last competed in the 2018 Indonesia Open, where he lost to Kento Momota in the semifinals. The last title he won was the 2018 Malaysian Open, the tournament just the week before the Indonesia Open. He defeated Kento Momota in the final in two straight games in front of his home crowd. Throughout his career, Lee won a total of 69 titles and 34 runners-up titles.
The full text of Lee Chong Wei’s post is below