He has been labeled "Super Dan" by his army of fans, but in the
eyes of his coach China's top badminton player Lin Dan is a mere
mortal who can be dropped from the team at any time.
"I don't think there's anything super about him. He is just a
good player, like Hidayat Taufik and Lee Chong-wei," said national
team head coach Li Yongbo.
"It's the media which makes him a 'superman' and a different
player from the others. I'm afraid the higher you speak of him, the
more setbacks he will suffer."
Li's unprecedented criticism comes after Lin's lackluster
performances at last week's Sudirman Cup in Glasgow, Scotland, when
he appeared to struggle physically and mentally.
China won the mixed team event for a record sixth time after
beating Indonesia 3-0 in the final. Lin was one of the dead rubbers
and was not needed in the final, sparing him a clash against
Hidayat.
"Lin lacks the passion and the never-say-die attitude on court
at the moment. These were his biggest strengths in previous
events," Li told Xinhua News Agency.
"We had a discussion. He thought the result was the most
important thing, but the coaches are concerned about the process as
well. He needs to win every match even though the result has been
decided."
Li was referring to Lin's shock defeat in a preliminary stage
tie against Malaysia. China won the match 4-1 but Lin's dropped
rubber against the Asian champion Lee Chong-wei ensured that the
team failed to win all rubbers in a Sudirman Cup tie for the first
time since the 2003 final.
"He is now at a crossroads. Technically speaking, he has made
some mistakes as to how to improve his tactics and perfect his
skills. It is the coaches who will help deal with the problems in
upcoming training sessions. But individually, it is up to him to
make adjustments. He has to find the passion, and the strength of
personality."
Lin also had some sloppy moments in the semifinals against South
Korea when he survived a mid-game scare in men's singles before
finally clinching a 21-11, 18-21, 21-14 win over Olympic silver
medalist Shon Seung-mo.
No hesitation
If Lin's form does not improve, coach Li says he will not
hesitate to drop him.
"We wanted to win the trophy but also use the tournament as a
warm-up for the Olympics. Everyone has an equal chance and if you
don't give your best, you could be out at any time," the coach
said.
Glasgow was not the first time that Lin, who routinely defeats
his national teammates, has struggled against overseas opponents in
major international tournaments.
Following a shock first round exit at the 2004 Athens Olympics,
Lin was defeated by Hidayat in the final of the world championships
in 2005.
He finally won his first World Championships in 2006 and then
the World Cup, beating teammates Bao Chunlai and Chen Yu
respectively in the finals.
However, he flopped in the final of the Doha Asian Games in
December last year, again at the hands of archrival Hidayat.
Work harder?
With the 2008 Beijing Olympics looming, coach Li is going to
work Lin harder than ever before to ensure he can overcome rivals
Hidayat and Lee Chong-wei in front of an expectant home crowd.
"We will have extra training to improve Lin's skill and pace in
the remaining time and push him to gain the initiative on the
court," Li said.
After the Surdiman Cup, an under-pressure Lin told Titan Sports
he will put all the comments behind him and focus on preparing for
August's world championships and next year's Olympics.
"I do not care what you (the media) say. The Sudirman Cup is a
team competition. The matches cannot prove your individual ability.
I will now prepare well for the world championships and the Olympic
Games. The Beijing Games is the best chance to prove myself."
(China Daily June 22, 2007)