Last night, men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia secured Malaysia’s second bronze medal after an intense match against India’s Lakshya Sen.
However, unlike others who would roar in victory, he calmly made a gesture by placing a finger on his lips with his eyes closed and left the court without much expression.
It wasn’t until he saw Abang, an Astro Awani journalist who has accompanied him on numerous tournaments over the years, that he finally broke down in tears during the interview, revealing all the hardships he had endured.
I wake up every day feeling lost, wondering what I did wrong. Why do they humiliate me like this?
Dengarkanlah luahan hati, pemilik gangsa kedua negara Olimpik Paris 2024
— ASTRO ARENA (@ASTROARENA) August 5, 2024
Istimewa buat anda, rakyat Malaysia.
Bersatu kita teguh#GoForGold #SokongMalaysia #Paris2024 #KitaSemuaTeamMas pic.twitter.com/1tXSJLyJTi
Zii Jia’s outburst understandably left many confused, with them wondering: “What happened for him to react like this?”
In order to understand Zii Jia’s unexpected reaction despite winning bronze, we have to take a closer look at the events that led up to him breaking down in tears in the face of a hard-fought victory.
Zii Jia’s highs and lows
Back in 2021, Zii Jia was a rising star in the badminton world after defeating his arch-rival Viktor Axelsen in a thrilling three-game match at the All-England Open.
At his first Olympic appearance in 2020, he was eliminated in the round of 16. Nevertheless, his impressive performance against China’s Chen Long gained significant attention as well as a large fanbase, who adoringly called him by the nickname of “BB”.
Unfortunately, this also set the stage for incredibly high expectations to be set on him, which unsurprisingly affected his performance as the months went by.
His inconsistent showings and dropping out of tournaments early led to sharp and relentless criticism by the media, who slammed him for his weak mental resilience and inability to step up when it mattered the most.
In 2022, Zii Jia announced his departure from the Malaysian national badminton team, which led to even more negativity, with the media labelling him as a “traitor” for turning his back on the national team and questioning whether he could succeed as an independent player.
Proving the doubters wrong
Public disputes between Lee Zii Jia and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) became a focal point for the media. Reports indicated multiple conflicts over permission to participate in international tournaments post-departure, with some even suggesting that he was banned from competing internationally, further fueling negative publicity.
As an independent player, reports on his training arrangements and coaching team were filled with scepticism. The media pointed out that his coaching team lacked experience and that the quality of his training might not be up to par, increasing concerns about his future performance.
During this period, his cooperation with his former coach, Indra Wijaya, ended amidst rumours. Subsequently, he changed coaches several times, recently collaborating with coach Wong Tat Meng.
Due to these issues, Lee Zii Jia became a frequent target of online abuse. Some criticized his poor performances with personal attacks, using insulting language and mocking his efforts, with some even cursing his career.
Extremist netizens even attacked his family and personal life, spreading rumours and negative news to tarnish his public image. Accusations included claims that he neglected his career, spent excessive time on endorsements and singing gigs, and other distractions.
These incidents led to a period of low morale for Lee Zii Jia, with a series of defeats in major tournaments in 2023. He even took a break to reassess his passion and future direction.
Fortunately, he did not give up on his badminton career, which led to a spectacular match and the hard-earned bronze medal.
However, what we, as spectators, observe and understand is only the tip of the iceberg. The pressure and emotions he has endured over the years are beyond our comprehension.
Indeed, in the competitive arena, winners are celebrated, and losers are criticized. But this does not justify the cyberbullying and beyond-sport critiques of his personal life.
The recent Olympic badminton matches have shown how supportive Malaysians can be. We hope this spirit of encouragement and positivity can continue to help our athletes shine brightly on the world stage.
Thankfully, Zii Jia was able to put an end to the critics’ barrage of negative comments with his bronze medal win. In fact, I personally believe it was a much-needed boost for his self-confidence after enduring months of mockery and humiliation.
With this bronze medal, we hope Zii Jia can believe in himself once again and bring back gold for Malaysia in the next Olympics!
We look forward to Lee Zii Jia achieving his goal of winning a gold medal at the next Olympics in LA in four years. Malaysia Boleh!
Here’s how you can show to show our support:
Read more:
