Lee Chong Wei pullout robs SEA Games of top name

Badminton world number one Lee Chong Wei's late withdrawal from the Southeast Asian Games, which open in Laos on Wednesday, has robbed the event of one of its few top international athletes.

The 25th version of the regional multi-sport event will officially get underway with an opening ceremony in Vientiane on Wednesday evening, although some of the 3,000 athletes have already been in action in the Lao capital.

Malaysian Lee won the Super Series Masters Finals on Sunday for his second title since returning from a two-month injury layoff, but the following day pulled out of the biennial games blaming a recurring knee problem.

"I wanted to go but the doctor told me there would be a big risk involved," Lee told Malaysia's Star newspaper.

"It may threaten my playing career if something goes wrong. We decided it was best that I stayed back. Next year is an important one for me and I want to select the tournaments I play in and do well in every one of them."

Lee will be replaced in the badminton singles by Kuan Beng Hong as Malaysia battle it out on the medals table for regional supremacy with Indonesia and Thailand.

Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, East Timor and Vietnam are also represented at the games, which run until December 18.

As well as the Olympic disciplines, the sports being contested include regional favourite sepak takraw, martial arts pencak-silat and muay as well as the French game petanque.