YOURSAY | ‘A bronze medal is still a great achievement.’

Zii Jia talks about pushing through media humiliation to prove worth

Dr Suresh Kumar: National shuttler Lee Zii Jia, you should be proud of what you have achieved. Ignore all the naysayers who probably have not held a racquet their entire life.

Badminton is a highly competitive sport. Some players even have to perform acrobatics to retrieve certain shots.

That is how highly competitive the game has become.

Reaching the semifinals at the Olympics is a great and respectable achievement in a field of world-class players, and what's more, winning a medal regardless of its colour.

Righteousness4all: Indeed, you did well against the odds and the questionable full support of the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).

If only the OCM had put more effort into the training, support and welfare of all participants who are representing Malaysia in Paris, they would possibly have garnered better results.

Lee, you have proven yourself, together with our national men’s doubles shuttlers Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, who also came from behind and won their hard-earned bronze Olympic medals. That is what matters.

You have all given Malaysia a special gift for the upcoming National Day celebrations.

Anticcpnterorist: It must be remembered that Team Lee was self-funded, and was denied two additional accreditation cards for his physiotherapist and personal sparring partner.

Shame on OCM, shame on Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh. How could this happen?

Yet, OCM president Norza Zakaria has the luxury of bringing his family to Paris. How low can you go, Malaysia? Is this how you treat your athletes?

GoldenDeer9520: Keep going strong, Lee. Ignore the negative comments on social media and whoever is not supportive. Believe in yourself.

You have proven you can do it. I am proud of you. All Malaysians should be proud of your achievements and your perseverance.

Your never-give-up attitude and resilience are exemplary. I look forward to watching you play in more major competitions.

Thank you for helping raise Jalur Gemilang with your podium finish. A bronze medal is still a great achievement.

Vroom: Syabas to our sportsperson Lee. You have made Malaysia proud.

However, with this victory, you must also be able to take criticism from many sides.

That comes with any sports played at high levels. Everyone has an opinion.

So, unfortunately, you bore the brunt of it. Never mind, as you put it, you proved them wrong.

You will continue to prove them wrong again and again in the future, as we all hope you will.

Again, congratulations to our Olympic heroes, you and all those who made it to the Paris Olympics 2024.

Vijay47: Every athlete, of course, aspires for the gold. At least Lee is coming home with the bronze medal.

Congratulations, we are proud of you just as we are of all the other Malaysians who did not fare as well.

The local commentary? I cringe each time I inadvertently hear them.

They have no clue at all about any of the events they cover and, worse, they keep on yakking even during tense moments.

However, I have a fail-safe solution. I either turn the volume to zero or switch channels. At once. Rahim Razali, where are you?

PowerRanger: Congratulations to Lee on your win, but at the same time, I hope you have learned your lesson and be more humble in the future.

There must be a reason why the media and the people around you say you are too arrogant, showing off and becoming overconfident, especially after you have won the All-England title.

Please accept some advice from people like your coach and even from past badminton greats like former Olympiad and three-time silver medal winner Lee Chong Wei.

I hope you win the gold at the 2028 Olympics.

Just a Malaysian: Lee, you have talent but not the mental maturity to be number one.

I was disappointed you used the victory interview to hit back at your critics.

By promising the gold medal at the next Olympics, you are adding unnecessary pressure on yourself.

That explains your half-hearted first set against India's Lakshya Sen. Looks like too many things are on your mind.

To be number one, you need to be able to focus and not be led astray by many critics and everything.

I thought you would use the opportunity to showcase your success and maybe kiss a Malaysian flag like Chong Wei. But instead, you whine about the irrelevant issues around you.

Grow up, Lee. We are proud of your achievements and thank you for the wonderful feeling, but until you get a grip on your emotions you will not go far.

JusticeNow: @Just a Malaysian, mental capacity and maturity take time to nurture and grow, it doesn't happen overnight.

You can’t compare these athletes and what they have achieved. I think Lee taking things one step at a time is good for the long run.

It is Malaysian sports bodies that are impatient to get the gold but unwilling to spend money. Political agenda is also thrown into the mix.

This is the never-ending story of Malaysian sports and it will continue to remain at a mediocre achievement level.

Casualuser: It's not easy to be the world's top athlete.

We (netizens and the media) should all be a little kinder to him to relieve some pressure on him for him to shine.

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