Can Malaysia’s Rich Tradition in Badminton Translate with an Olympic Gold?

Kuala Lumpur, 27 Syawwal 1437/01 August 2016 (MINA) – Malaysia first competed in the Olympic Games as the Federation of Malaya in 1956 in Melbourne, but had to wait 36 years before winning a medal.

In total, Malaysia have won three silvers and three bronzes from badminton and diving, according to the Star Online..

Brothers Razif and Jalani Sidek broke the duck for Malaysia in the badminton men’s doubles at the Barcelona Games in 1992.

Badminton made its debut in the Olympics that year, and Razif-Jalani wasted no time in ending Malaysia’s medal drought.

The Sidek brothers powered their way into the semi-finals before losing 11-15, 13-15 to eventual gold medallists Park Joo-bong-Kim Moon-soo of South Korea.

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Four years later in Atlanta, the national shuttlers delivered again by bringing home a silver and a bronze from the United States.

Cheah Soon Kit-Yap Kim Hock lived up to their second-seed billing in the men’s doubles by progressing to the final. Their efforts to win Malaysia’s maiden gold were halted by top seeds Ricky Subagja-Rexy Mainaky of Indonesia.

Soon Kit-Kim Hock put up a strong showing but had to settle for the silver after a heartbreaking 15-5, 13-15, 12-15 defeat in the final.

The bronze medal playoff in badminton was introduced at the Atlanta Games, with mixed results for Malaysia.

Rashid Sidek overcame the dejection of losing to eventual champion Dong Jiong of China in the men’s singles semi-finals by bouncing back to clinch the bronze with a 5-15, 15-11, 15-6 victory over Indonesia’s Hariyanto Arbi.

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But Soo Beng Kiang-Tan Kim Her, who fell to Ricky-Rexy in the last four, failed to earn a podium finish after going down 4-15, 15-12, 8-15 to Indonesians Antonius Ariantho-Denny Kantono in the bronze playoff.

Malaysia, however, finished empty-handed in the next two Games at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004.

The nemesis Lin Dan

In Beijing 2008, shuttler Lee Chong Wei whipped up the nation’s anticipation of ending the gold drought by marching into the men’s singles final.

But he found nemesis Lin Dan of China in top form on home ground. Chong Wei was never in the game during the final, losing 12-21, 8-21 to the then reigning world champion.

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The two met again at the 2012 London Games.

Unlike his meek capitulation four years earlier, Chong Wei had a real go at the gold medal at the Wembley Arena.

But the Malaysian No. 1 still had to settle for the silver after a see-saw battle with Lin Dan in the third game ended in a 21-15, 10-21, 19-21 defeat. (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)