Lee Chong Wei is a Malaysian badminton player known as the light of Malaysia. But in 2018, the sudden onset of nasopharyngeal cancer almost crushed him.
Li Zongwei specially went to Taiwan Province on the mainland for treatment, and the treatment cost was as high as 9 million. He had 33 electrotherapy sessions, his throat was all rotten, and he had to be sprayed with anesthetics when he ate.
In order to make a comeback, Li Zongwei said with tears: Fighting cancer is too painful!
What has he been through? Now, six years later, how has he been?
The source of this article is from the official media [China News Weekly], [CCTV Mobile Network], [Beiqing Net] (link attached at the end of the article). In order to improve the readability of the article, there may be polishing of the details, please read sensibly, for reference only!
"The Second Millennium"
Lee Chong Wei has said more than once that he wants to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the outside world has not denied his statement.
At the beginning of 2024, a well-known sports rehabilitation therapist in Malaysia posted a set of photos on social media.
In the photo, Li Zongwei is skinny, his face is out of shape, and he has a hard time pushing barbells and stretching elastic bands.
Because of the lack of systematic training for too long, after the training session, Li Zongwei was already sweating, holding his knees and panting. Although he has been retired for almost five years, he has never given up the chance to return to the ring.
In September 2018, Lee Chong Wei was confirmed to have nasopharyngeal cancer.
Li Zongwei, who is preparing for the Olympics, is unwilling to give up and has never let go of his dream of hitting the Olympic gold medal.
But the deterioration of his condition was much more serious than he imagined.
I went to Taiwan to receive electrotherapy
Under the persuasion of the attending doctor and his wife, Li Zongwei announced his retirement to the outside world on the eve of the opening of the Olympic Games.
After retiring, he embarked on a three-year journey of anti-cancer treatment. Lee Chong Wei went to Taiwan Province to receive the most advanced "proton therapy" method.
Nearly a year of treatment, 33 proton treatments, cost Li Zongwei 9.36 million.
However, the most painful part is the process of treatment.
Due to complications, Lee Chong Wei's throat was completely ulcerated, he had difficulty swallowing, and even drinking water was very painful.
Not only that, but he also experienced extensive hair loss, plummeting weight loss, and muscle atrophy.
Li Zongwei, who was already thin, once dropped his weight to less than 50 kilograms during the treatment, and his mental state was very bad.
During the long and painful course of treatment, Lee Chong Wei faced both physical and mental torment.
In an interview, he admitted frankly: The year of treatment in Taiwan was the most difficult year of his life.
Lee Chong Wei said that he had thought about ending his life countless times.
However, there are two reasons that prevent him from doing so.
One is the badminton he loves.
The first impression of Chinese sports fans on Li Zongwei must be the dispute with Lin Dan for more than ten years.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Lee Chong Wei and Lin Dan faced each other for the first time in the Olympic Games.
Lin Dan scored repeatedly with key balls and narrowly defeated Li Zongwei by a narrow margin.
The men's singles final at London 2012 was considered by many to be the best match in the history of badminton at the Olympic Games.
At that time, Lin Dan and Li Zongwei were at the peak of their respective careers, ranking first and second in the world rankings respectively.
The two sides come and go, and the fight is inextricable.
In the end, Lin Dan once again won the game by a narrow margin of two points, and also achieved a historic Grand Slam with this gold medal, becoming the first person in the history of badminton.
Although Li Zongwei has won 69 championships in his life, he has 3 more than Lin Dan.
But he has never won an Olympic gold medal, which is still a pain in his heart.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Lee Chong Wei finally defeated his old rival Lin Dan in the Olympic arena.
Just when Lee Chong Wei thought that his dream of becoming an Olympic champion could finally be realized, reality hit him head-on. Lee Chong Wei eventually stopped in the final because his performance did not meet expectations, and he failed to win the gold medal in the end.
He has competed in three Olympic Games, but each time he missed a gold medal.
Lee Chong Wei was born with a relatively thin body, but this did not affect his love of sports at all.
He liked to play basketball since he was a child, but because of his size, he did not develop much in basketball and was eliminated very early.
By chance, Lee Chong Wei came into contact with badminton under the guidance of his father.
It didn't take long for his talent to catch the eye of the local badminton coach.
Although Lee Chong Wei is relatively thin and small, he has unique advantages and characteristics in the field of badminton.
He is explosive, quick and agile, and his body is very responsive whether it is defending or attacking;
When smashing and slashing, it also has a skill advantage, accurate and powerful.
And the second reason for Li Zongwei to persist is his wife who never abandons him-Huang Miaozhu.
Love in the stairwell
In the most difficult days, his wife Huang Miaozhu always stayed by Li Zongwei's side.
But because of Li Zongwei's illness, he couldn't help crying more than once.
Huang Miaozhu understands that even if the disease can be cured, the hope of Lee Chong Wei returning to the ring in the future is very slim.
She doesn't want to see her husband discouraged, and Li Zongwei has always been full of guilt for Huang Miaozhu.
Over the years, Wong has always been there when Lee Chong Wei needed it most.
Actually, Huang Miaozhu is also a badminton player.
But in order to better take care of Lee Chong Wei, she gave up her sports career that should have been just as brilliant.
Lee Chong Wei and Huang Miaozhu are both young players in the national team and the best among their peers, and they met in the stadium during the national team training camp.
In order to get close to Huang Miaozhu, Li Zongwei often lied that he forgot to bring his training equipment, and then went to Huang Miaozhu to borrow it.
Huang Miaozhu smiled and didn't speak every time, but in her heart she had already understood the mind of the thin and shy Li Zongwei in front of her.
But the relationship between the two was strongly opposed by the family, and Li Zongwei's sister obstructed it in every way.
The two had no choice but to quietly date in the dimly lit stairwell in the training ground after the training.
True love stands the test of time, though.
The silent but persistent relationship between the two finally touched the relatives, friends and family who had opposed them and got married smoothly.
On December 28, 2022, Huang Miaozhu presented Lee Chong Wei with a special gift when his recovery from treatment was about to end.
Their third son was full moon.
With the warmth and companionship of his family, Li Zongwei has completely walked out of the shadow of his injuries.
Although for him, the road back to the field is still long and difficult.
At the beginning of this year, the Asian Badminton Team Championships came to an end, so how did Lee Chong Wei perform when he returned to the court?
epilogue
The Malaysian team missed out on the championship, finishing runners-up in the men's team event, and the women's team event was eliminated early.
After the game, Lee Chong Wei was unexpectedly blunt in an interview.
"If we don't take action, Malaysian badminton will only go downhill from here. ”
"I want to give up badminton Malaysia. ”
As soon as the interview was released, many people felt that Lee Chong Wei was too demanding for young players. However, who can really understand Lee Chong Wei's good intentions?
Lee Chong Wei has always regarded playing for the national team as the proudest honor of his career.
Today, the opening of the Paris Olympics is getting closer and closer.
And the president of the Malaysian Badminton Association, Norza, responded clearly:
"With only a few months to go until the Paris Olympics, it will be difficult for the BWF to make major changes. ”
Resources
[1] [39 Health Network] - "It took 9.36 million yuan, 33 times of radiotherapy, and the throat was all "rotten", Li Zongwei recalled fighting cancer: it was too painful"
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6816606269646832139/?channel=&source=search_tab
[2] [PP Sports] - "Li Zongwei Officially Announces His Retirement and Looks Back on His Sports Career to Become the Most Famous "Uncrowned King""
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6701887774162682375/?channel=&source=search_tab
[3] [CCTV Mobile Network] - "No More "Lin Li War"! Malaysian Badminton Player Lee Chong Wei Announces Retirement
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6701902857941025294/?channel=&source=search_tab
[4] [Beiqing Net] - "The President of the Malaysian Badminton Association Responds to Lee Chong Wei's "Concern""
https://www.toutiao.com/article/7338289247965430287/?channel=&source=search_tab
[5] [Soda Football] - "The Battle of the Century: Lin Dan Reverses Li Zongwei to Defend the Olympic Champion and Achieves the First Person in History"
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6984977544663646758/?channel=&source=search_tab
[6] [China News Weekly] - "Proton Therapy for Lee Chong Wei's Cancer Recovery, Learn About?"
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6658173440777781768/?channel=&source=search_tab
[7] [39 Health Network] - "Spending Nearly 10 Million Dollars, Li Zongwei's Cancer Cells Are Cleared!Advanced Anti-Cancer Therapy, Which Patients Can Do It?"
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6909634418818957838/?channel=&source=search_tab
[8] [Southern Metropolis Daily] - "Li Zongwei disclosed the difficult process of fighting cancer for the first time, and his relationship with his wife Huang Miaozhu was also tearful"
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6738722553990234627/?channel=&source=search_tab
[9] [Xinmin Net] - ""I Love and Hate Him" - Xinmin Evening News Reporter Recalls Lin Dan and Li Zongwei's Things"
https://www.toutiao.com/article/6845817226730144264/?channel=&source=search_tab
The process and pictures described in the article are all from the Internet, and this article aims to advocate positive social energy and no vulgar and other bad guidance.