Meet Malaysian student-heroes at Paris Olympics
Published on: Tuesday, August 13, 2024
By: Jessie Lee
Ardent Malaysian supporters at the Paris Olympics with sports minister Hannah Yeoh. (Photos: Anis Zafirah & Teh Kai Jie)
Kota Kinabalu: One could easily spot a Malaysian fan at the Arena Porte de La Chapelle, where the Paris 2024 badminton matches were held recently.
A group of friends, including Aina Omar, Anis Zafirah, and Vaishnavii Mahesan, who study in France, shared their vivid impressions of the event with the Daily Express.
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite not being a big sports fan herself, Aina, 24, said she was enthralled by the ambiance. Anis, 24, from Shah Alam, echoed this sentiment.
“There were a lot of volunteers and people guiding us to the venue, from the moment we stepped out of the metro to our seats in the arena,” she said.
Vaishnavii, 24, from Seremban, said it was an event worth experiencing even once, especially when it was hosted in a country one lived in.
Aina vividly recalled the quarter-final match of the Malaysian women’s doubles team, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan, against South Korea’s Kim So Yeong and Kong Hee Yong.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I still remember the moment when the crowd was cheering, with Malaysians chanting ‘Malaysia Boleh’ for our team and Koreans chanting ‘Daehan Minguk’,” she said.
Vaishnavii attended the men’s doubles quarter-finals and the men’s singles eighth preliminary round.
ADVERTISEMENT
“During the first match of men’s doubles where Malaysia was competing against India, it was a tight match. Despite losing the first set, the Malaysian fans cheered even harder, and they won.
“The second match of men’s singles between Malaysia and France was much more intense, and as we were in the host country, 80% of the arena were French supporters. We had to scream and cheer with more force than usual to be heard and not to lose hope,” she said.
Meanwhile, another interviewee, Teh Kai Jie, from Sungai Petani, Kedah, said the most emotional moment for him was during the semi-finals of the women’s doubles.
“The most heart-breaking match for me was the match of Malaysia’s women’s doubles (Thinaah and Pearly Tan) against the world No.1 players from China.
“On the second round of the game, Thinaah unfortunately hurt her hand, and the medic team urgently provided help while Pearly held Thinaah’s hand firmly to give her support.
“They still gave their all despite the injury. For me, their cooperation scored the best points, even though China won. I felt sad when I saw them tearing up during the post-match interview,” he said.
Watching the matches in person had always been a dream for Kai Jie since high school when Paris 2024 was announced.
“I am blessed that I was given the opportunity to pursue my studies in France,” the 20-year-old student in Lille said.
In addition to attending the official badminton training sessions at the nearby Aire-Sur-La-Lyse, he attended two slots of badminton matches at the Porte de La Chapelle.
“The first was the quarter-finals of the men’s singles and men’s doubles; the second was the semi-finals for both men’s doubles and women’s doubles,” he said.
Outside the stadium, the four Malaysian students highlighted the joy of connecting with other Malaysians.
Aina said it made her feel like home seeing Malaysians coming together for an event.
“I met many fellow Malaysians, from badminton fans who travelled all the way from Malaysia to expats living in Ireland.
“Some were even dressed in traditional Malaysian costumes. They told us they tried their best to represent Malaysia and support our athletes,” she said.
Vaishnavii had an impressive encounter.
“Once the game was over, we were outside the arena and were taking a few pictures when we suddenly bumped into our (retired) national squash player, Datuk Nicol David.
“We managed to chat with her a little and took a few photos as well. It was a very memorable moment indeed,” she said.
Kai Jie recalled meeting his sports idols in person.
“I designed shirts with cute cartoons of the Malaysian athletes to cheer them up and got to show them to (Sports minister) YB Hannah Yeoh and Datuk Nicol David!
“I also met Malaysian influencers like Lekgor, who promotes badminton in Malaysia,” he said.
He said it was a golden opportunity to share perspectives and connect with Malaysians studying in the neighbouring European countries.
Some volunteers of the Paris 2024 even told him Malaysians are very friendly and supportive of their athletes, a sentiment echoed by Vaishnavii.
“I would say even if you bought solo tickets and did not have a companion to go with, the ambiance would have made up for it. As we all know, Malaysians are naturally friendly, so you would not end up being alone either way,” she said.
The just-concluded Paris 2024 Olympics left a lasting impact on the interviewees.
Vaishnavii, though not very interested in sports, emphasised the importance of supporting her favourite teams and country.
“Their victory is our victory. Malaysia has a lot of potential to show the world in badminton and other sports,” she said.
Kai Jie reflected on the importance of resilience and not giving up, quoting Yeoh.
“She said, ‘May the young generation of Malaysians watching the Olympics pick up the meaning of not giving up,’” he told Daily Express.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
