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Well done: The Malaysian silver medallists - shuttlers (from left) Goh V Shern, Tan Wee Kiang and Lee Chong Wei,and divers (from right) Cheongjun Hoang and Pandelela Rinong - posing with their mock cheques after receiving them from XOXBerhad chairman Datuk seri Abdul AzimMohdZabidi (fourth from right). Also present were XOXchief finance officer SylviaKng(fourth from left),XOXBerhad group chief executive officer Ng KokHeng (fifh from left) and XOXBerhad group managing director Datuk Eddie Chai(third from right). - 55. KANEsAN/ The Star

Chong Wei hopes .BAM.wiUkeepcoach HendrawanBy TAN MING WAI

PETALING JAYA: National bad-minton ace Lee Chong Wei did

...._ not openly declare it, but it's obvi-ous that he wants Hendrawan tocontinue coaching him for onelast shot at a major title' - theWorld Championships in Glasgownext year.The 43-year-old Indonesian

~ was instrumental in helpingChong Wei get back on his feetafter an eight-month doping sus-pension. ' ,

Returning to action in May lastyear, Chong Wei took just 14months to work his way back tothe world No.1 spot in June.

--_ Chong Wei has also won ninetitles along the way -e .besidesclaiming silver at last year'sWorld Championships in Jakartaand the Rio de Janeiro Olympicslast week.

Hendrawan's contract is set toexpire at the end of December', and Chong Wei believes it will bea no-brainer for the BadmintonAssociation of Malaysia (BAM)tooffer him an extension.''''His contributions speak for

themselves I think he(Hendrawan) has proven himselfand everyone can see what hehas done for me," said ChongWei.'

"Under his guidance, I foughtmy way back to the world No. 1spot in just 14 months. I was atNo. 182 when I first returnedfrom suspension."In the last six years, he has

groomed other good singles play-ers' like Iskandar (ZulkamainZainuddin). So, Hendrawan's, presence is not only important- for me, but also to the entire sin-gles department.

"Hendrawan has certainly

.given a lot to theteam ... but sohas coach (Tey) Seu Bock,"It will be up to the BAM (top

brass) .to decide on whether to"retain them or not, but I hopeboth Hendrawan and Seu Bockwill stay on and be part of the2020 Tokyo Olympic project."

Chong Wei has been trainingunder Seu Bock since 2010, withassistance from former singleschief, coach Rashid Sidek andHendrawan,

Hendrawan was then taskedby BAMtechnical director MortenFrost to handle Chong Wei whenthe shuttler had finished servinghis doping suspension., Frost was certainly spot-on intrusting Hendrawan, a worldchampion in 2001. . .' ~

Hendrawanwas ceftainly/upto the task, although Chong Weifell' short in his bid to nail theelusive Olympic gold.

Chong .Wei and seven, otherOlympic medallists - men's dou-bles pair Goh V Shem-Tan-WeeKiang, mixed doubles pair ChanPeng Soon-Goh Liu Ying and syn-chro- divers Pandelela -Rinong-Cheong [un Hoang (an silver) andcyclist Azizulhasni Awang(bronze) - were rewarded withcash incentives totallingRM315,000 by XOX Mobile at aceremony yesterday for their'achievements in Rio.

Peng Soon-Liu Ying . and-Azizulhasni were absent yester-day:

.' XOX Mobile rewarded the sil-ver medallists with RM60,000each (the pairs shared, theamount equally) and the bronzemedallist RM25,000. .

Chong Wei received a total ofRMll0,000, including RM50,000for doing the XOX Mobile proudas Itsbrand ambassador,