MALAYSIA’S men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik brought joy to the nation by securing Malaysia’s first medal at the Paris Olympics yesterday.
However, amid the celebration, there remains a bittersweet feeling as Malaysia still yearn for their elusive first Olympic gold medal.
Since badminton was officially included in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Malaysia have hoped to bring home a gold medal. Yet, every four years, the medal remains unattainable.
Aaron and Wooi Yik, who won bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, are acutely aware of this. They aimed to surpass their previous achievement but were thwarted by China’s Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang in the semi-finals.
Aaron said he understood that some may view their campaign as unsuccessful, especially since they were considered strong contenders for Malaysia’s first Olympic gold medal before departing for Paris.
Moreover, they were part of the elite sports programme Road to Gold, which offers additional support in the quest to end Malaysia’s 68-year gold medal wait at the world’s biggest sporting event.
Several private companies had also promised substantial rewards. Seng Heng offered a RM1 million prize while Top Global pledged a luxury condominium in Setia Alam if they won gold for Malaysia.
However, they only managed to bring home another bronze medal.
Still, their victory was not an easy one as they staged a remarkable comeback to deny Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skarrup Rasmussen yesterday.
“I think over these three years, we’ve grown significantly and learned many new things. We’ve experienced becoming world champions, yet three years ago and now, we’ve ended up with the same bronze medal.
“Some might see this as a lack of improvement, thinking we’re stuck at the same level.
“However, from another perspective, it shows our consistency in securing a bronze medal. It’s all about how we view it and how others perceive it,” Aaron shared with the Badminton World Federation.
Although the national badminton squad could not deliver the long-awaited gold medal, credit must be given to the fighting spirit of Aaron and Wooi Yik, who refused to give up even when their opponents were on the brink of victory.
Equally commendable is the achievement of the women’s doubles pair, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah.
They made history by becoming the first Malaysian women’s pair to reach the semi-finals, overcoming the “group of death” despite having the lowest ranking. – August 5, 2024
Adam Zamri is a Scoop sports journalist