Badminton no. 1 Lee Chong Wei defies medics to enter last All England Open

Lee Chong Wei feared his career was over in a freak accident which tore his knee ligament during badminton practice last month.

Then the world No. 1 thought he'd be out for six weeks and miss the All England Open, which he has won three times. But so desperate was he not to miss it that in just over three weeks, he was passed fit to compete. Still in some pain and not quite 100 percent fit, he starts his 13th and last All England on Wednesday.

There was a collective gasp in Malaysia on Feb. 4 when the news came that Chong Wei slipped and fell, tearing the medial collateral ligament in his left knee. The ligament attaches the top of the shinbone to the bottom of the thigh bone. It normally takes 42 days to heal.

But 23 days later, he passed a second scan on the knee, and a day later, his doctor and coaches agreed he could oblige his top seeding in Birmingham.

"I'll just need to prepare myself mentally," he says.

The start of his farewell season has been far from ideal all round.

His injury exposed year-long discontent with Morten Frost, the Hall of Famer from Denmark who has been the technical director of the Badminton Association of Malaysia for two years.

On the day the national squad moved into the new national academy, one of Chong Wei's teammates slipped and fell on court mats.

Chong Wei told his coaches to tell Frost the mats needed to be replaced. Four days later, Chong Wei injured himself.

The next day, mats on three of the 18 courts were replaced. Chong Wei blamed Frost for failing to take action sooner, and accused him of being more concerned about when he was retiring than his health.

"I'm hurt," Chong Wei said. More accusations prompted a public backlash that Chong Wei was being uncharacteristically egotistic. But he said he'd kept silent about Frost at the request of his coach Hendrawan.

Chong Wei has lost the final of the last three Olympics, and the last four world championships.

Defeat has been kind, though. He has been world player of the year five times, and received numerous awards, titles, and military rankings in Malaysia.

Another regret is that at 35, he is still Malaysia's best player. Nobody at home can touch him.

"I admit age is no longer on my side, but I have never let it weaken my spirit," Chong Wei said last month. I still don't have any major title to my name, and that is what strengthens my resolve to at least win the world title in Glasgow in August. This is what motivates me to continue playing. I will know when my time is up. Trust me."

This last hurrah brings him to the All England. He likes his draw. In the semi-finals he could meet Chen Long, who beat him for the Olympic gold; then perhaps a fourth All England final with his great nemesis Lin Dan.

His first-round match will be against French qualifier Brice Leverdez, who beat Chong Wei in the Denmark Open quarter-finals in October.