Quoting Kenny Sia’s tweet (I modified it a bit): “What Lee Chong Wei did in 79 minutes, others have failed to do in decades of tries“.
It was indeed heart-breaking to see our national badminton ace Lee Chong Wei kneel down and cry after he lost 21-19 in the deciding set for the gold medal. Tears flowed not only in Wembley Arena, but hundreds of miles in Malaysia where individual homes, coffee shops, hostels, mamak stalls, bars and pubs came to a silence upon Lin Dan securing his winning point.
Some may not understand why Malaysians are so heart-broken with the defeat of Chong Wei. To be honest, it isn’t the gold medal which made Chong Wei’s defeat such a big deal, but rather how everyone, Malaysian or non-Malaysian, wanted this timid, boy-ish lad whom has gone through so much just to get in the Olympics, and try to win it yet again.
I think that among the millions watching, he inspired many as I hope that the support he got would inspire more to do something not for materialistic rewards, but rather for the good of doing something.
I won’t be shy to say that I shed a tear when I saw Chong Wei lost. The tear was not because a gold medal slipped away, but it was more of due to the fact that after so hard an effort, Chong Wei was not able to achieve his dreams. It was even more emotional upon knowing he actually fought hard with the one goal to hear Negaraku being played in the Olympics for the first time.
As far as I can remember, Chong Wei never once said anything about the rewards that await him, but kept going on how he really wanted the gold medal for Malaysians.
If there is anything from Chong Wei’s defeat which could be learned, it was that sometimes winning doesn’t need to come by through material things.
I believe that despite the loss, Chong Wei gave Malaysia an even better gold medal than the Olympics gold medal. He gave Malaysians unity and pride, and if the Olympics gold medal is really something Chong Wei himself craved, then he should come to realize that he has won one really big silver medal that trumps Lim Dan’s two Olympics gold medal; Chong Wei won the hearts of millions, Malaysian or non Malaysian.
To Chong Wei, congratulations!
The silver medal you have is worth so much more than the golden medal Lin Dan has.
NOTE:
- 1st photo of Chong Wei from New Strait Times
- 2nd photo of Chong Wei and Lin Dan from The Telegraph