China badminton coach Li Yongbo said Chen Hong's comeback to competition after retiring for only two months was not good for the national team, local media reported on Friday.

 

 

China's Chen Hong celebrates his victory against Denmark's Peter Gade at the end of their match at the World Badminton Championships in Madrid September 22, 2006. [Reuters]

 

World number-five Chen, who quit the national team after being omitted from the talent-rich squad for December's Asian Games, returned to action this week as a free player at the Asian Championships in Malaysia.

 

Chen competing as a free agent outside the national team - paying his own tour expenses but keeping all of his winnings - was "absolutely not a good thing for the national team", Li told Friday's Beijing Youth Daily.

 

"When Chen Hong first brought up his retirement, he was still a top player, and it wasn't the case that he had no chance of competing at next year's Olympics," Li said.

 

The coaching staff had worked hard to keep him, Li said, but Chen had insisted.

 

"In the end, we approved his retirement out of respect for his wishes. But now he is playing under his own name. As far as we're concerned, this is, of course, not a good thing," Li added.

 

Chen, who recently secured a sponsorship with a Chinese clothing company, on Thursday broke through to the quarter-finals at the Asian Championships, Chinese web portal sina.com reported.

 

China's sport administrations take a dim view of athletes perceived to have shunned national team goals in the pursuit of personal gain.

 

Last month, Olympic diving champion Tian Liang retired after being banished from the national team for several years for taking part in too many commercial activities.

 

(China Daily via Reuters April 14, 2007)