Chong Wei has scolded Daren: CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDE!

WORLD 1 Lee Chong Wei has one piece of advice for the underperforming Liew Daren.

Forget about past glories and focus on rebuilding your career.

World No 66 Daren thought he was the next best thing after Chong Wei after winning the French Open in 2012, and listened little to his coaches in training.

“After he returned from France, I advised him to change his character and train harder to achieve more success. But he didn’t listen to coaches.

“I scolded him for that,” said Chong Wei after overcoming Son Wan Ho 21-17, 21-17 in the first singles match against Korea in New Delhi yesterday.

“He thought he was very good after winning the title. He did not push hard enough. I think winning the title affected him mentally.”

Chong Wei was responding to the team’s decision to replace Daren with debutant Goh Soon Huat in the line-up against South Korea yesterday.

“The pressure is different when you are up there. I shared my bad experiences with him to motivate him. I once dropped to World No 7 but it did not deter me. I instead trained harder and worked my way up.

“I have only one advice for Daren… forget about the victory in the French Open and focus on rebuilding your career. He is 27 years old, not a junior anymore. As his teammate, I hope he will find his way back.”

Daren has been the target of critics after his poor run in the Thomas Cup. He lost his third singles matches to India and Germany.

“National coaches Rashid Sidek and Tey Seu Bock, and I spoke to Daren after the defeats. He claimed he went blank on court. However, I could see he was motivated before those matches.

“We, as a team, will try to help him bounce back during the tournament. He was dropped because of failure to perform.

“Maybe, the break will help him recover and regain some confidence for the following matches,” Chong Wei added. - NST