It has been seven years since Malaysia had a home winner in the Malaysia Open, but that is not a turn-off for badminton fans.
And not even the heavy rain that caused leaks inside the Axiata Arena during Tuesday’s first-round matches affected the turnout today, with the parking bays at near-capacity as early as 11.05am.
Everything was going smoothly until there were fears of another disruption when a 30-minute delay occurred on Court 3 during American player Lauren Lam and Taiwan’s Chiu Pin-Chan’s match. However, quick action from the organisers ensured there wasn’t a repeat of yesterday’s four-hour delay.
Malaysian Stadium Corporation kept its promise of having workers on standby, as they were seen furiously clearing droplets that had seeped through the roof, which is being replaced for the first time since 1998.
Officials from the Badminton World Federation and the Badminton Association of Malaysia worked quickly to make the court playable, and despite the heavy rain later on, there were no more leaks.
Since getting a new title sponsor, fans have been more ‘entertained’ inside and outside the venue of the competition. This year, various booths offer virtual reality and badminton-related games, providing visitors with plenty to do in between matches.
There are also meet-and-greet sessions with badminton players and plenty of opportunities to buy merchandise, with booths doing roaring business.
Two tents outside the stadium provided fans with spacious dining areas, and one had a giant television screen so they didn’t miss out on the action.
This year, security has been amped up, with accredited pass holders required to scan a QR code and input a selfie to activate their passes. This extra layer of security is to eliminate the possibility of non-registered personnel gaining access to the venue.
On the court, Malaysia will face an uphill task returning to the winner’s circle, but for staunch badminton fans Rahimi Sulaiman and Rozie Ishak, what matters is for the players to give 100 per cent when they are on the court.
“My favourite player remains (Datuk Lee) Chong Wei, as he fought for every point and brought numerous honours to the country,” said Rahimi during a break outside the Axiata Arena.
“Now, I like Lee Zii Jia. But it doesn’t matter who it is, as long as they have the Jalur Gemilang on their chest, I will support them.
“It is a pity Zii Jia is injured, but I will be at the Axiata Arena every day until the final on Sunday, hoping to see some Malaysians fighting for the top prize.”
Rozie said they missed the action yesterday because of the heavy rain and were disappointed to read about the leaks inside the stadium.
“It was raining earlier, but we managed to get here on time for the evening games. Luckily, the rain has stopped, and I hope no matches will be disrupted today,” said Rozie.
“Like Rahimi, I just want to see a Malaysian winner. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
Lee was the last Malaysian to taste victory at the Malaysia Open in 2018 when he clinched his record-extended 12th men’s singles gold medal.
It is a more dire situation for the men’s doubles as the last winners were Goh V Shem and Lim Khim Wah in 2014, while it has been 60 years since we had a champion in the women’s singles (Rosalind Singha Ang), women’s doubles (Ang and Teoh Siew Yong), and mixed doubles (Teh Kew San and Ng Mei Ling).
