KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s Lee Zii Jia staged a superb comeback to clinch the Paris Olympics men’s singles bronze medal today.
Putting aside the disappointment of missing out on a ticket to the final, Zii Jia secured his first Olympics medal by dispatching India’s Lakshya Sen 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena.
“To be honest, after losing my semi-finals match yesterday, I wasn’t really sure if I wanted this bronze medal,” Zii Jia told the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
“My goal and everything I did was to win the gold because no Malaysian has won gold before.
“When I lost yesterday, it felt like I had gotten a slap from Kunlavut (Vitidsarn), waking me up from a dream.
“Going into the match today, I didn’t get enough sleep, and I couldn’t eat well today. I know that’s not good because I need a lot of energy to defeat Lakshya.
“After losing the first game, I knew I wasn’t in a good place. I looked at my coach (Wong Tat Meng) and he looked slightly panicked too.
“That’s when I realised I was all by myself.
“The past three years, ever since I left to turn pro, I went through a lot. That was why I didn’t celebrate too much after I won. It wasn’t on purpose, it’s just how I reacted,” said Zii Jia, who crashed out in the last 16 of the Tokyo Games three years ago.
Zii Jia’s bronze medal concludes the Malaysian badminton camp’s campaign in this year’s Olympics.
On Sunday, national men’s doubles duo Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik retained their bronze from three years ago in Tokyo when they ousted Denmark’s Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen in a nail-biting playoff. – August 5, 2024