Cover Malaysian men’s singles badminton star Lee Zii Jia delivers at Paris 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)
Malaysian men’s singles badminton star Lee Zii Jia delivers at Paris 2024 (Photo: Getty Images)
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Malaysian shuttler Lee Zii Jia wins India’s Lakshya Sen in men’s singles badminton bronze showdown at Paris 2024
With a strong, unwavering commitment to the game, Malaysian men’s singles badminton player Lee Zii Jia eliminated France’s Toma Junior Popov 21-13, 24-22 during the men’s singles badminton quarterfinals on August 1. The second set had badminton fans on the edge of their seats, expecting the match to go into a rubber set but Lee’s laser focus overcame the challenge.
Read more: Lee Zii Jia: 5 things to know about Malaysia’s new badminton star
Regarded as one of the best players in the men's singles category in the current generation, this is not the 26-year-old’s first Olympic rodeo. He made his debut in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics but was eliminated in the round of 16. This only strengthened his resolve to achieve his Olympic dream.
Early August 3, Lee, currently ranked world No. 7, took on fellow Viking friend and current world No. 3 Anders Antonsen from Denmark in a smashing match to reach the men's singles badminton semi-finals. Lee played a tight game in the first set from the get-go but managed to take the lead, winning 21-17 over Antonsen.
He then remained calm and collected, cruised into the second set, and registered a 21-15 victory over his opponent in straight sets. Reigniting Malaysia’s dream of clinching a gold medal, Lee played reigning world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand in the semi-finals on August 4. Unfortunately, he lost 14-21, 15-21.
See also: All the Olympic medals Malaysia has ever won
On August 5, Lee took on India’s Lakshya Sen on for bronze. He lost 13-21 in the first set. The second set was a closer fight and he managed to put quite a distance between their points, winning 21-16. This forced the match to go into a rubber game. It was gripping as Lee, with his eyes on the prize, would not go down without a fight–and fight he did. Leading the third set, he defended his game and emerged the winner by 21-11, bagging the men’s singles badminton bronze for Malaysia and his first Olympic medal.
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Lainey was the Digital Director of Tatler Malaysia. When not whiling away the hours watching documentaries, the latest K-drama, or reruns of Friends, she can be found indulging her wanderlust by stalking travel platforms or feeding her obsession with music. She loves animals, running, all things social media, a good conversation over coffee or soju or wine (often rambling on if nobody pulls the brakes on her), and is an avid fan of bursting-at-the-seams laughter.
