Kuala Lumpur: To date, Lin Dan has completed two rounds of career grand slams, winning two Olympic gold medals, two Asian Games men’s singles gold medals, five world championships, five All England titles and men’s singles champion in many Superseries tournaments.
Nonetheless, he has never won the Malaysia Superseries title, and is hoping to add that trophy to his collection by participating in the 2015 Malaysian Open Superseries that will be held from March 31 to April 5.
The last time Lin Dan played in the Malaysian Open was in 2006. In an epic men’s singles final of the 2006 Malaysia Open, Lee Chong Wei battled from 13-20 down in the decider, saved eight match points to subdue World No 1 Lin Dan of China 21-18, 18-21, 23-21 to win his third consecutive Malaysia Open title in Kuching. However, the 10-time Malaysian Open champion Lee Chong Wei who has been provisionally suspended by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) would not stand in Lin Dan’s way this time.
The Malaysian Open also attracted other badminton stars such as world champion Chen Long, Tian Houwei and Wang Zhengming of China; Jan O Jorgensen and Viktor Axelsen of Denmark; South Korean shuttlers Shon Wan-ho, Lee Dong-keun, Lee Hyun-il; Indonesian players Tommy Sugiarto, and Dionysius Hayom Rumbaka, Kenichi Tago and Kento Momota of Japan; and K. Srikanth and P. Kashyap from India.
Malaysia will send Chong Wei Feng, Daren Liew, Mohd Arif Abdul Latif and Zulfadli Zulkiffli to compete in the men’s singles category, while Tan Wee Kiong-Goh V Shem will be Malaysia’s main hope in the men’s doubles event.