Can Malaysia End Their Elusive Gold Medal Chase? the Burning Question - Can Malaysia End Their Elusive Gold Medal Chase?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Star Section: Sport Ad Value: RM 18,821 17-Jul-2021 Size : 374cm2 PR Value: RM 56,465 The burning question - can Malaysia end their elusive gold medal chase? The burning question - can Malaysia end their elusive gold medal chase? IN less than a week, all eyes will be on three editions in Beijing (2008), London And based on the draw, this could be just has to believe in himself. Japan, a country that promises the best (2012) and Rio de Janeiro (2016.) his potential pathway to the final - For the first time, there are more Olympics action despite the Covid-19 Rio was a Games to remember when defending champion Chen Long of China Malaysian women athletes in the challenges. we nicked four silvers (three badminton, in the last 16, second seed Chou Tien- Olympics, it does not matter that some of RAJES PAUL In Malaysia, there is one burning one diving) and one bronze (cycling). chen of Taiwan in the quarter, Anthony them are there as wildcards. question - can we finally nail our first There will be 30 Malaysian athletes in Ginting of Indonesia or Anders Antonsen Their presence in the Olympics itself is gold medal? Or maybe even two? Tokyo, two fewer than in the Rio team of Denmark in the semis, and either an indication of an achievement that The wait has been long. Too long. but the smaller number does notin any Kento Momota of Japan or Viktor Axelsen many of us can only dream about. We have been sending a team to the way mean poorer quality. of Denmark in the final. As the countdown draws closer, the Olympics since the 1956 Melbourne Indonesia, with their huge population, Besides Zii Jia, there are the young excitement mounts. Games and we struck our first medal are only sending 28 athletes. What Sports Box and dangerous Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik The nation will come together again to when badminton was introduced as an matters is quality. in the men's doubles; old-timers Chan rally behind the athletes and pray for Olympics sport at the 1992 Barcelona On paper, we stand a chance in Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying, who are equally their safety as they battle for honour and edition. cycling, diving, arches and badminton. cycling are ridiculously strong too but he determined to go one step better than against Covid-19 in this unprecedented That was when the famous Sidek Rio bronze medallist Azizulhasni has beaten them all before and the their silver-medal effort in Rio; and Olympics. brothers - Razif and Jalani - won a men's Awang has been shaping up so well. His Pocket Rocketman is not one to be Soniia Cheah and Lee Meng Yean-Chow I was at the 2004 Athens Olympics doubles bronze medal but our physique is more impressive now, he has intimidated. Mei Kuan who want to make a difference and watched Taufik Hidayat of Indonesia neighbours Indonesia upstaged us to a better bike, he has focused on nutrition In diving, we can count on pool in the women's events. being crowned as the men's singles take their first-ever Olympics golds and he is even taking his own pillow and darlings Pandelela Rinong, Leong Mun The morale of the national badminton champion. He shed tears of joy while we through lovebirds Alan Budi Kusu ma specially designed mattress to make sure Yee and Cheong Jun Hoong to overcome team is also high, largely due to the were all heartbroken as Malaysia (men,s singles) and Susi Susanti (women's he gets a good night's sleep. the strong Chinese clivers for the top positive vibe that has been instilled by returned empty-handed that year. singles.) One has to just read his Facebook prize. coaching director Wong Choo ng Hann We came so close in Rio. Will we finally Indonesia have gone on to add posting filled with war cries and positive For once, badminton may not be our and his team since he took over in late shed tears of joy this time? another five golds in badminton. sayings. Ifs so motivating and inspiring forte. But there is Lee Zii Jia. 2018. Malaysia, meanwhile, have collected a that even I have restarted my morning Malaysia probably would have The others in the contingent are not * The writer wishes the Malaysian total of 11 medals since then - eight from runs (although thafs on hold no thanks discarded badminton as a medal expected to do well but don't write off contingent all the best in Tokyo. badminton, two from diving, and one to the Covid-19 restrictions). contender if not for the strong showing top archer Khairul Anuar Mohamad. Although winning medafs will be a from cycling - but have not seen the He is determined and positive, I do by Zii Jia en route to winning the All I believe he has the potential to pull great morale-booster for the nation glitter of gold. hope Azizul's effort will be rewarded with England title in March. off a surprise. He has the experience and currently struggling with Covid-19, she Lee Chong Wei was the top performer, the gold he is looking for. It will not be The 23-year-old, Malaysia's flag-bearer has consistently shown improvement will be happy iftheygive their best of course, with three silvers from the last easy as his taller and bigger opponents in has raised hopes indeed. under Korean coach Lee Jae-hyung - he f m Jia You!.