Badminton World Number 1 Lee Chong Wei has won his tenth successive National Grand Prix title, defeating Goh Soon Huat in a one-sided final, which took place in Bukit Kiara’s Juara Stadium. Wei needed less than half an hour to defeat outsider Goh, and add to his haul of badminton trophies. Wei has now set badminton history by becoming the first Malaysian player to win ten successive national titles, further enhancing his standing within the game.
In the match’s first set, Wei’s precision badminton saw him win the set by an impressive margin of 21-11 against Goh. His competitor approached the set in an aggressive fashion, but was let down by poor shot selection which left him with little chance against an expert shuttler such as Wei. This pattern continued in the second set, with Goh unable to compete with the speed set by Wei in the rallies, offering virtually no resistance to the World Number 1, who trounced his opponent 21-5.
Wei has announced his intention to abandon domestic badminton tournaments in favour of international events, making the National Grand Prix title a fitting end to his domestic career, which has seen him win numerous major badminton trophies. Following the game, Wei said:
“I have achieved my target and I hope the Badminton Association of Malaysia will understand if I skip this tournament next year.”
The next challenge for Wei will be the Open Premier Super Series held in Denmark, which he hopes will help him to earn Olympic qualifying points.