KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian squash legend Datuk Nicol Ann David said she was honoured to witness shuttler Lee Zii Jia win the Paris Olympics men’s singles bronze yesterday with an incredible fightback.
Nicol found the 26-year-old player’s resilience and determination truly inspiring, especially his ability to stay focused under immense pressure.
“From the first time I saw him compete live in the SEA Games, that killer instinct was always there and his fearlessness to go for it. Witnessing his sense of calmness throughout the competition was so powerful and that comes with a lot of hard work to get to this level to withstand the intensity of the Olympic Games and the magnitude of expectations on yourself to perform,” the deputy chef de mission for Malaysia said in a Facebook post today.
“His never-say-die attitude coming back and taking complete charge from the second set onwards even being down 1 set and 8-4 by imposing his game to win this bronze medal is just incredible to watch and I’m just honoured to be able to witness it all.”
She also congratulated Zii Jia on his milestone win, saying he has made Malaysians proud with the way he fought from his heart for the country.
World number seven Zii Jia beat Lakshya Sen of India 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 in the bronze medal playoff at Porte de La Chapelle Arena in Paris.
