KUALA LUMPUR – National doubles pair Man Wei Chong and Tee Kai Wun condemned the actions of the supporters of national shuttler Ng Tze Yong, who were seen giving death threats to a passionate badminton fan on social media.
The world’s number 22 ranked pair said that there should not be a need for fans to engage in violent acts and that fans should view sports as just sports.
“In my opinion, there was nothing wrong with what the Malaysian fan did during Tze Yong’s game. He was just excited and passionate about his favourite player’s performance, and perhaps he wanted to see Tze Yong perform better in the game.
“However, I don’t like the way some fans reacted by sending him death threats. This is a respectful sport, and everyone should treat each other with respect and view this sport as just a sport without resorting to violence.
“There’s always a way to express emotions appropriately. I urge all badminton fans, including our own fans, to be respectful in all circumstances,” Wei Chong said during the launch of the Road to NCT Junior Badminton Championship today.
Meanwhile, Kai Wun said that the pair still has a chance to secure their slots for the 2024 Paris Olympics, despite their current ranking position behind Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Teo Ee Yi-Ong Yew Sin for the world’s biggest sporting event.
“The chance to qualify for the Olympic Games is still there because we have about a year and a half left in the qualifying round.
“We need to focus on delivering the best performance in major tournaments and avoid early exits in upcoming events,” Kai Wun added.
Last week, following Tze Yong’s exit in the semi-finals of the Super 750 French Open in Rennes, hardcore fans confronted Darence Chan, a local and vocal Malaysian badminton fan.
Annoyed by his loud chants and cheers, which some consider distracting to players on the court, Darence also faced criticism for using air horns in the venues.
Darence has since reached out to Tze Yong, apologising for his actions, which some fans claim contributed to Tze Yong’s defeat in the French Open semifinals against China’s Li Shi Feng.
In an Instagram story posted by Tze Yong on Wednesday, the world No. 15 player said, “To all the fans, please stop sending him death threats. Let’s end this in peace.”
Earlier, Darence, whose Instagram handle is @darencechan_37, reached out to Tze Yong, apologising and saying, “I hope there can be peace from both sides, as many fans are slandering me and giving me death threats. All I want is to freely express myself and support Malaysia because I want the best for all of you.”
To which Tze Yong replied, “I accept your apology, but please refrain from doing it again. I understand that, as a fan, you hoped we would win the match, so maybe at that moment, you didn’t think too much about it. Thank you for your continued support. Let’s have peace.” – November 2, 2023.