THE Badminton World Federation (BWF) has reaffirmed its decision to induct Lee Chong Wei into badminton’s Hall of Fame after former Indonesian player and former Olympics gold medallist Taufik Hidayat questioned the rationale.

The Indonesian, who also won the 2005 World Championships and the 2002 and 2006 Asian Games, took a swipe at Lee in a recent television interview, saying the Malaysian never won any major trophies throughout his career.

Today the BWF reiterated that Lee and Lin Dan were worthy recipients for their outstanding contributions to the sport.

“On recommendation from the BWF Awards Commission, the council endorsed the nominations of Lin Dan and Lee Chong Wei for the Hall of Fame as per the selection criteria outlined in the awards regulations.

“Both are worthy recipients of the accolade for their outstanding contributions to badminton beyond the confines of the court over a significant period of time.

“BWF recognises the achievements and contributions of many legends of the sport and looks forward to inducting more champions into the BWF Hall of Fame in the coming years,” it was quoted as saying in a New Straits Times report today.

Earlier today Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said the BWF had good reasons for recognising Lee.

She said Lee’s induction into the 2023 BWF Hall of Fame was also based on the badminton body’s data and statistics.

“I was there when he (Lee) received the award and the recognition with Lin Dan, and if we look at the data and statistics, I believe the BWF had strong reasons before it gave the recognition.

“Besides, we are really proud of Chong Wei’s achievements,” she told reporters after flagging off the Balik Pulau Half Marathon 2023 participants at the Balik Pulau Sports Complex.

On May 26, Lee and Lin were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their achievements and contributions to the sport by being among the most influential and transformative players throughout their careers.

Lee’s dominance in the badminton arena saw him win 47 Super Series or BWF World Tour titles during his 19 years of involvement and hold the no. 1 position for 349 weeks.

The 41-year-old Lee is Malaysia’s most successful badminton athlete, with three Olympic silver medals in 2008 Beijing, 2018 London and 2016 Rio editions. He was runner-up in three World Championships in 2011, 2013 and 2015. – June 4, 2023.