THE performance of our Malaysian shuttlers at the Paris Olympics is something to be proud of. Despite being rank outsiders in all disciplines, they performed splendidly as a unit.
Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan conjured up the fighting spirit to escape the shackles of their “group of death”.
They performed superbly to reach the semifinals, delivering a performance that made all Malaysians proud. They gave their all in the bronze medal match, but it was ultimately in vain.
Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik also performed admirably to reach the semifinals, where they put up a strong fight against their Chinese opponents.
In the match for third place, they pulled off a miraculous comeback in the second set against the Danes, winning 22-20 after trailing 16-20. This set the tone for their nail-biting victory in the deciding set, clinching the bronze medal with a 21-19 win.
In the men’s singles, Lee Zii Jia, playing to his true potential, did not disappoint the Malaysian fans.
Zii Jia delivered a polished performance to win the bronze medal, even though he was on the back foot for a game and a half against Lakshya Sen.
Overall, it was a great showing by our Malaysian shuttlers. Their fighting spirit was the standout feature of their performance as a unit.
Bravo to the players and the team.
