Malaysian badminton ace Lee Chong Wei may be ranked number two in the world but he has emerged the favourite to take the gold in the Beijing Olympics.

Contrary to the rankings and statistics, many Chinese badminton fans believe Chong Wei and not their very own world number one, Lin Dan, will be the favourite to win the coveted medal.

If Chong Wei wins the top spot, it will be Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal. And he would be on his way to receive RM1 million from the Malaysian government when he returns home.

lee chong wei The government has promised to reward any Malaysian athlete who wins an Olympic gold with a million ringgit.

According to a Bernama report, although nine out of 10 Chinese nationals could not pronounce Chong Wei's name correctly, they pronounce his name as "Eee Chung Why", they were quick to recognise his potentials.

"Maybe a few years ago I would not have picked 'Chung Why' because he was prone to erratic play but now I see him as a very composed player, and it is Lin Dan who has been wobbling with his game of late," said Zhou Peng, a physical education teacher from Hangzhou, near Shanghai.

Lin Han, who incidentally comes from the Fujian province, where Lin Dan comes from, but with no direct relationship despite the similarity in their names, said a Lin Dan versus Lee Chong Wei will be a dream final and fitting finale to the Olympic Games but he too felt his fellow countryman's armour has chinks.

In action on Sunday

"Maybe before the Thomas Cup finals in Jakarta, many Chinese fans would have put their money on Lin Dan but after watching Chong Wei sweep aside Lin Dan with ease in straight sets 21-12, 21-14, many, including me, are apprehensive.

"I believe Chong Wei has what it takes to win the gold here," he said.

Badminton, which offers five gold medals through the men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles (no team event), will open its courts tomorrow with the men's and women's singles getting underway.

However, no Malaysian shuttler will see action tomorrow but on Sunday (6.50pm), Wong Mew Choo takes on South Africa's Kerry Lee Harington in the first round of the women's singles while Wong Pei Tty/Chin Ee Hui face South Koreans Lee Kyung-won/Lee Hyo-jung in the first round of the women's doubles.

Chong Wei, drawn in the bottom half as opposed to Lin Dan who heads the top half, opens his campaign on Sunday (10am) against Singapore's Ronald Susilo, the conqueror of Lin Dan at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Lin Dan, three times world champion (2005 Anaheim, 2006 Madrid, 2007 Kuala Lumpur) and three times All-England champion (2004, 2006, 2007) takes on Ng Wei of Hongkong.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's second representative in the men's singles, Wong Choong Hann will face a daunting task when he takes on Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat who is the defending champion, also on Sunday (5.40pm).