"Datuk! Over here! Please Datuk!" were the cries from the reporters who had been waiting patiently the past hour at the airport.
Chong Wei smiled and nodded a sign that he would indulge the crowd. He readied himself as the cameramen readied themselves. He was in a very positive mood. And why wouldn't he be? He had won three tournaments in a row, the latest being the Hong Kong open where he beat world number ten Tian Houwei in the finals, and is where he is returning from tonight.
One of the tournaments, the China Open, was were he did the almost impossible. He slayed the Chinese in their own backyard, beating world number three Lin Dan in the semis and then world number one Chen Long to take the championship.
"I feel that the worst is already over. I managed to get through the toughest point in my career and I have to say that I'm more confident now," he said, summing up the past seven months.
The doping case against Chong Wei late 2014 that saw the former world number one suspended from badminton for eight months also saw him dropping to 180 in the world ranking. Since May this year, he has clawed his way up to sixth position. And he has played his last tournament of the year. He failed to qualify for the Superseries finals in Dubai next month due to insufficient points.
"I want to concentrate on improving myself, physically and definitely mentally, for next year," he said, obviously referring to that one elusive title – an Olympic gold medal.
He has been and will be working very closely with his coaches Hendrawan and Tey Seu Bock. But the pressure is definitely there – from himself, and also from the entire nation.
There were calls from Malaysians for him to resign a few months ago when he was knocked out in the early stages of the Japan, Korea and Denmark Open. But now that he has started winning again, the applause couldn't be any louder. And Chong Wei says he will never give up.
"Chong Wei carries the pressure of the entire country. It definitely isn't fair, but nothing is fair in this world, and especially not in sports!" said Kenny Goh, the general manager of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
The objective of BAM has always been clear. They want an Olympic gold medal and whatever support they can give to Malaysia's badminton hero, they will. And the relationship between them and the two-time Olympic silver medalist has never been better.
"I know Chen Long and the others will be gunning after me now. So I have to make sure that I don't slack," he said without a wince.
As the questions from reporters started to die down, Chong Wei smiled and slowly signalled his withdrawal from the impromptu press conference outside KLIA's arrival hall. The reporters understood the cue and everyone congratulated and thanked him.
As he walked towards the exit, a group of fans stopped him and requested for selfies. Just as how he obliged the reporters, he did so too with his fans. It was obvious that the fighting spirit in him is still as strong, if not stronger, than always. Let's just all hope that he stays on track as he prepares for the biggest win of his career.
