Lee Chong Wei was defeated by archrival Lin Dan 21-15, 10-21, 19-21 in the
singles badminton competition finals at the London Olympics.
This marks Lee's second defeat at the hand of China’s Lin Dan in his quest for Olympic gold.
The final set saw a seesaw battle between the two badminton greats who put up a gallant display.
In the final minutes, Lee took the lead and was just two
points shy from bagging Malaysia's first gold medal but Lin Dan managed to claw
his way back to emerge victorious.
Malaysian sports fans were heartbroken, with some describing Lee's defeat to China's Lin Dan as "cruel".
In Petaling Jaya, some 500 people gathered in front of a huge screen to watch the hotly anticipated encounter, often shouting: "Gold for Lee Chong Wei."
Among them was 32-year-old medical doctor Lee Wei Wei who described Lee's defeat as a "cruel loss".
"It is very, very disappointing. Lee was very close. I am heartbroken by the defeat. It is a very cruel loss," she told AFP.
"I was expecting Lee to win. But you know Lin Dan is a very extraordinary player."
Many sports fans saw Lee as the person to end the nation's gold drought.
Malaysia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1964 and its athletes have won a total of four Olympic medals, all in badminton - two silver and two bronze.
Lee, who had almost missed the Games because of an ankle injury, started well but faded from the middle of the second game, allowing Lin's magnificent range of strokes to flourish while it was a tight finish in the third game.
Chin Shiang Jin, 24-year-old student who was watching the
game with a dozen other friends said it was a "sad and disappointing day for
me".
"Li Dan is a strong and player both physically and mentally. But we thought Lee would win. It is very sad to see Lee loss as it may be his final Olympic outing.
"Lee was so close ... just two points away from the gold. I think luck was not on his side," Chin said.Lee, who turns 30 in October, has hinted he could retire following these Olympics.Lee now trails Lin, who has dominated the sport, by 21-9 in head-to-head meetings.
'Defeat has pride written all over it'
This marks Lee's second defeat at the hand of China’s Lin Dan in his quest for Olympic gold.
The final set saw a seesaw battle between the two badminton greats who put up a gallant display.
In the final minutes, Lee took the lead and was just two
points shy from bagging Malaysia's first gold medal but Lin Dan managed to claw
his way back to emerge victorious. Malaysian sports fans were heartbroken, with some describing Lee's defeat to China's Lin Dan as "cruel".
In Petaling Jaya, some 500 people gathered in front of a huge screen to watch the hotly anticipated encounter, often shouting: "Gold for Lee Chong Wei."
Among them was 32-year-old medical doctor Lee Wei Wei who described Lee's defeat as a "cruel loss".
"It is very, very disappointing. Lee was very close. I am heartbroken by the defeat. It is a very cruel loss," she told AFP.
"I was expecting Lee to win. But you know Lin Dan is a very extraordinary player."
Many sports fans saw Lee as the person to end the nation's gold drought.
Malaysia first participated at the Olympic Games in 1964 and its athletes have won a total of four Olympic medals, all in badminton - two silver and two bronze.
Lee, who had almost missed the Games because of an ankle injury, started well but faded from the middle of the second game, allowing Lin's magnificent range of strokes to flourish while it was a tight finish in the third game.
Chin Shiang Jin, 24-year-old student who was watching the
game with a dozen other friends said it was a "sad and disappointing day for
me"."Li Dan is a strong and player both physically and mentally. But we thought Lee would win. It is very sad to see Lee loss as it may be his final Olympic outing.
"Lee was so close ... just two points away from the gold. I think luck was not on his side," Chin said.Lee, who turns 30 in October, has hinted he could retire following these Olympics.Lee now trails Lin, who has dominated the sport, by 21-9 in head-to-head meetings.
'Defeat has pride written all over it'
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak commended Lee for his performance, stressing that the latter showed true fighting spirit and determination.
"The defeat had pride written all over it. Lee did not concede defeat easily but battled hard.
"Though he did not succeed in beating Lin Dan who played
aggressively, Lee was able to hoist the image of the country," he told reporters
after performing the Isyak and Tarawih prayers at the Masjid Naim in Bachok,
Kelantan tonight when asked to comment on the match.Najib who performed the Maghrib prayers at the Kampung Badak mosque, later watched the match at International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed's residence.
Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor, an avid badminton fan, said Lee had done his best but luck was not on his side.
"All badminton fans should be satisfied and not disappointed because Lee has given his best performance. It's just that Lin Dan is a bit luckier," she told the Malaysian media after the final match at the Wembley Arena, London.
Rosmah and deputy prime minister's wife Norainee Abdul Rahman are in London to support Lee.
In London, Malaysia took part in nine sports: badminton, diving, cycling, archery, fencing, swimming, shooting, sailing and athletics. But many of the athletes crashed out of the competition.
Lee's silver will be Malaysia's only medal from the Games.
Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/205535
No comments:
Post a Comment