Our national shuttlers, Aaron Chia (谢定峰), Soh Wooi Yik (苏伟译) and Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉), made Malaysia proud at the 2024 Paris Olympics after bagging the bronze medals for the badminton men’s doubles and men’s single games respectively. Following their wins, the nation has been showering the three athletes with congratulatory messages – including badminton legend Lee Chong Wei (李宗伟) and Ipoh-born actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊).
Lee Chong Wei first shared his congratulatory message for the men’s double pair, expressing pride over the win on Sunday (4th August 2024). In his post, the former world champion called the match “one of the most exhilarating he has witnessed” and “one of the best comeback Malaysians have ever seen”. Lee Chong Wei also expressed hope for the duo to continue to play well at the next games and jokingly wished Aaron and Soh Wooi Yik wouldn’t end up like him, with three medals of the same colour (silver).
The former national shuttler also congratulated Lee Zii Jia after his Olympic win on Monday (5th August 2024). Lee Chong Wei wrote to his junior, thanking the 26-year-old for his many sacrifices to get his first Olympic medal. He also acknowledged that Lee Zii Jia has faced hardships, carrying the responsibility of the No. 1 singles player in Malaysia and hopes that the athlete will continue to prosper and hopefully bring home a gold medal from the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Another renowned public figure who congratulated the athletes on their well-deserved wins was Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh. The actress, who is also a member of the International Olympic Committee, took to social media to congratulate Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik. She wrote, “Congratulations. So proud and happy that our Malaysian boys won the Bronze medal.” She also shared cheers for Lee Zii Jia, writing in a separate post, “Congratulations Lee Zii Jia for winning the Bronze medal for Men’s Single Badminton!! Go Team Malaysia!”.
While the badminton games have concluded at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Malaysia still has a shot at another medal as our national athletes gear up for the diving, weightlifting, sprint and keirin competitions. We wish them all the best and hope they know that the rest of Malaysia is rooting them on.
