There was a deep sense of frustration in A. Selvaduray’s voice.
The retired policeman had seen his fair share of human depravity in his almost 40 years in the force, serving and protecting the public.
However, Selvaduray could only watch helplessly as his very own daughter, national shuttler S. Kisona, became the target of a racist Facebook posting.
The offensive posting ignited a firestorm and riled up the entire nation. Reeling from the backlash, the individual, a politician, quit the social media platform, issued a public apology, and resigned from Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.
Multiple police reports have been lodged since, including by Selvaduray, as first reported by Twentytwo13. It’s now a police case.
Selvaduray wants justice. No father wants to see his child be hurt this way.
“My daughter is playing for Malaysia, not for herself. There’s no race involved. It’s the same with all the other sports,” Selvaduray told Twentytwo13 on Monday.
“Athletes are chosen because they are the best, not because of their skin colour. My daughter was chosen (to play in the Sudirman Cup) because she is good.”
For Kisona, her sweetest revenge would be to produce results on the court.
A product of the Bukit Jalil Sports School, she won bronze in the 2012 Asian Junior Championship, and the 2013 Asian Youth Games.
At the 2019 Manila SEA Games, she won the gold medal, while Lee Zii Jia, won the men’s singles title. This marked the first time in 46 years that Malaysia had won both the men’s and women’s SEA Games badminton singles titles.
Undoubtedly, Kisona still has a long way to go, compared to the world’s best, but the world No. 53 player is among the best the country has to offer.
There are those who believe the 23-year-old isn’t physically strong and that her footwork needs enhancing.
Kisona may not want to talk about the incident. But it shouldn’t be brushed aside. Neither should she forget the episode.
Instead, the Seremban lass should use it as a motivation to prove her critics wrong.
She should work on improving herself – and her position in the world rankings.
Kisona, just like every other Malaysian out there, has what it takes to make the nation proud. She has received, and will continue to receive, the support she needs.
The BA of Malaysia has selected a young Malaysian from Seremban to be a world-beater. It’s time for her to silence her critics once and for all.
