The 1992 Barcelona Olympics marked a significant moment in Malaysian sports history when the men’s doubles pair Datuk Razif Sidek and Datuk Seri Jalani Sidek won an Olympic medal, becoming the first representatives of the country to do so. Their inspiring achievement has motivated other players to strive for podium finishes for Malaysia, with badminton consistently bringing home medals for the country at the Olympics, except for the 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens editions. Despite this, Malaysia has yet to secure the much-anticipated gold medal, with the national badminton team winning a total of nine medals, including six silver and three bronze.
To continue the legacy of badminton excellence and pursue the nation’s first gold at the Olympics, Malaysia will be sending eight players to the Paris 2024 edition, including Tokyo 2020 men’s doubles bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and professional men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia. The reputation of Aaron-Wooi Yik, who made history as the country’s badminton representatives by winning the world championship in Tokyo in 2022, along with their experience of winning bronze at the last edition, positions them as strong contenders to bring home gold from Paris 2024.
However, the performance of Aaron-Wooi Yik leading up to the Olympics has been somewhat inconsistent, finishing as runners-up only once at the 2024 All England and exiting in the second round of the 2024 Indonesia Open last month. Despite this, they are expected to have a promising chance of advancing past the group stage at the 2024 Olympics. Attention is also on Zii Jia, who will be looking to redeem himself after being eliminated in the round of 16 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Zii Jia’s recent successes at the Thailand Open 2024 and Australia Open 2024 should boost his confidence as he aims to secure a medal at the Olympics.
In addition to Aaron-Wooi Yik and Zii Jia, three other national badminton representatives will be making their Olympics debut in Paris. The mixed doubles pair Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei, women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah, and professional women’s singles player Goh Jin Wei will also be looking to make their mark at the Olympics. Despite facing tough competition, these players have shown potential and will be aiming to advance to the next stage of the competition.
With the badminton competition set to kick off this Saturday and run until August 5, the national badminton players must focus on maintaining consistency in their performances to achieve success in Paris. The 2024 Olympics will officially begin tomorrow and continue until August 11, providing an opportunity for Malaysian athletes to showcase their talent on the international stage and strive for glory in the sport of badminton.