National shuttler Lee Chong Wei has vowed to return to the sport he dominated for years, calling on Malaysians to await his return following news that he is battling cancer.

“Wait for me. I’ll return to the court. Don’t forget me yet, I’m still here,” Lee, 35, told The Star in a message from Taiwan where he is undergoing treatment for nasal cancer.

“I’ll return soon. Thank you for all the concern and care shown to me during my two-month recovery.

“I’ll... say more when I come back," he was quoted as saying.

The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) confirmed yesterday that the former world number one was diagnosed with early-stage nasal cancer.

However, it stated that he was responding well to treatment.

"He is responding well to his treatment and is currently resting and recuperating amongst family and close friends,” BAM president Norza Zakaria said in a statement.

In July, Lee made a shock withdrawal from both the Badminton World Federation World Championships in China and the Asian Games in Indonesia.

At the time, BAM said the shuttler was suffering from a “respiratory-related disorder” and had been advised by his doctor to rest.