Indian Badminton League: Lee Chong Wei's opening act a hit
It's not the easiest of feats to achieve in an arena where the country's biggest sporting name — abbreviated to a legendary SRT — will be weaved into a roaring Mumbai crowd chant even if the man in question so much as lifts his forearm for a half-wave. But Lee Chong Wei has a half-smash - a soft-kill drop shot, and a lethal no-holds barred jump smash that well and truly distracted from the front-row celebrities Sachin and Anjali Tendulkar, Ajit Agarkar, Paras Mhambrey and Mahesh Bhupathi on Tuesday night.
The near-capacity NSCI stadium came armed with LCW banners — the acronym settling nicely into the stadium as Chong Wei played and won his first match of the IBL for Mumbai Masters beating compatriot Darren Liew 21-12, 21-16 .
Affable screeches of 'Leeeeee' would've made the World No 1 men's singles shuttler feel right at home, minus the strangling pressure of Kuala Lumpur's hysterical and weepily emotional doting crowd that perennially searches for its self-worth in his ability to be No.1 for the last four years.
Of course, he's 'Chong Wei' to Malaysians — not Lee, like Tendulkar is 'Sachin' to Indians, but conveniently appropriated to Lee for his latest assignment, the 31-year-old Malaysian soaked in this newest mass of new converts.
Sunil Gavaskar — team owner — completed the trinity of pint-sized sporting giants (Chong Wei's 5'7") in the newly opened swanky hall, and joined in the collective ooh-aahing as LCW wowed more with his deft touches than smashing aggression. Poised for a leaping smash, hanging mid-air like only Chong Wei does, his wrist locked in twisting restraint the very last second and what would've been a smashing projectile turned into an elegant drop that fell tauntingly in Liew's forecourt.
Gavaskar gaped. Tendulkar too excited, shook wife Anjali from her own amazed reverie and showed her how the wrist was twirled.[/img][/SIZE][/I]
The near-capacity NSCI stadium came armed with LCW banners — the acronym settling nicely into the stadium as Chong Wei played and won his first match of the IBL for Mumbai Masters beating compatriot Darren Liew 21-12, 21-16 .
Affable screeches of 'Leeeeee' would've made the World No 1 men's singles shuttler feel right at home, minus the strangling pressure of Kuala Lumpur's hysterical and weepily emotional doting crowd that perennially searches for its self-worth in his ability to be No.1 for the last four years.
Of course, he's 'Chong Wei' to Malaysians — not Lee, like Tendulkar is 'Sachin' to Indians, but conveniently appropriated to Lee for his latest assignment, the 31-year-old Malaysian soaked in this newest mass of new converts.
Sunil Gavaskar — team owner — completed the trinity of pint-sized sporting giants (Chong Wei's 5'7") in the newly opened swanky hall, and joined in the collective ooh-aahing as LCW wowed more with his deft touches than smashing aggression. Poised for a leaping smash, hanging mid-air like only Chong Wei does, his wrist locked in twisting restraint the very last second and what would've been a smashing projectile turned into an elegant drop that fell tauntingly in Liew's forecourt.
Gavaskar gaped. Tendulkar too excited, shook wife Anjali from her own amazed reverie and showed her how the wrist was twirled.[/img][/SIZE][/I]
![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/m/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/s/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
