Eventhough he has retired from the sport for seven years now, Lee Chong Wei remains a revered national hero with thousands of fans chanting his name at the Malaysia Open final on Sunday.

“Lee Chong Wei! Lee Chong Wei! Lee Chong Wei!” was the cries from the 12,000 strong turnout at the Axiata Arena when the 42-year-old made his way to the stage to present the medal and mock cheque to men’s singles finalists Kunlavut Vitidsarn and Shi Yu Qi.

Lee, of course, is the last Malaysian shuttler to win the Malaysia Open when he beat Kento Momota back in 2018 to win his 12th title on home soil.

Besides winning this Super 1000 event a dozen times, the former world number one has also given millions of Malaysians numerous joyous moments over the course of his 20-year-career.

Even the newly minted Malaysia Open men’s singles champ Kunlavut held Lee in high regard.

“I hope to have bak kut teh with him again soon. Chong Wei has always given me advice when I have a problem. It’s been good advice too, on how to prepare and control things in and outside the court,” he said.

Now that Kunlavut has won his first Super 1000 title after Shi retired midway through the final, the 24-year-old Thai ace has other milestones he intends to achieve.

“I want to win the All-England and Olympic gold medal next. Becoming world number one would be great too, but I feel I would be pressured once I achieve that,” said the current world number two and 2023 world champion.