And then, there was one.
Lee Zii Jia is the sole Malaysian shuttler left with a chance to win the elusive gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games when he reached the semifinals of the badminton tournament after he defeated Anders Antonsen of Denmark 21-17, 21-15.
He will play reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn, of Thailand, – who defeated world No.1 Shi Yuqi 21-12, 21-10 – for a place in the final.
The other semifinal sees India’s Lakshya Sen facing defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark.
Both matches are on Aug 4.
“Happy to reach the semifinals. I didn’t expect it. I’m not thinking about the gold medal yet,” said Lee.
“I was surprisingly calm. I felt his desire to win the match led to him making many unforced errors.
“We are good friends, but enemies when we are on court.”
On his chances against Kunlavut, Lee admitted it would not be easy as he doesn’t have a good record against the Thai.
“He is on form and playing well, but anything can happen,” he said.
Earlier, Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah (women’s doubles) and Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik (men’s doubles) suffered heartbreaking semifinal losses to Chinese opponents.
Tan and Thinaah fell 21-12, 18-21, 21-15 to Chen Qing Chen-Jia Yi Fan, while Chia and Soh suffered a 21-19, 15-21, 21-17 loss to Liang Wei Keng-Wang Chang.
In today’s playoff for bronze, Tan and Thinaah face Japan’s Matsuyama Nami-Shida Chiharu. Chia and Soh, bronze medallists in Tokyo three years ago, meet Kim Astrup-Anders Skaarup Rasmussen of Denmark.
Three years ago at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – delayed a year because of Covid-19 – Chia and Soh won Malaysia’s sole badminton medal.
It was a far cry from the three silvers that Datuk Lee Chong Wei (men’s singles), Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong (men’s doubles) and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (mixed doubles) won at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
That remains Malaysia’s best badminton haul.
In 2008 and 2012 it was just one silver from Chong Wei, while the team returned empty-handed in 2004 and 2000.
Malaysia won one silver and one bronze in 1996 via Rashid Sidek in the men’s singles, and Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock in the men’s doubles.
Four years earlier, Razif and Jalani Sidek won a bronze in the men’s doubles.
Zii Jia is now one step from the final, and he can end our long wait for gold.
Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia (facing camera), returns a shot to Denmark’s Anders Antonsen, in the badminton quarterfinals of the men’s singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Lee won 21-17, 21-15. Image: OCM
