7 Fun facts about Malaysian Bronze Olympic winner Lee Zii Jia
National treasure
On 5 August 2024, Malaysians all over the world watched with bated breath as Lee Zii Jia battled it out in the Bronze medal match against India’s Lakshya Sen at the Paris Olympics. As the runner-up at the 2022 All England Open and the former World Junior No. 1, Sen proved to be a formidable opponent, besting Jia in the first set 21-13.
However, the Malaysian star and current No. 6 shuttler pulled off a spectacular feat in the second and third sets with scores 21-16 and 21-11. This victory is even more significant given that the athlete did not make it to the podium during his debut at Tokyo 2020.
With audiences in the French capital and those streaming at home roaring in celebration, the badminton sensation proved himself to be an exceptional player with sheer determination and unwavering mental strength. “Even though this is just a Bronze medal, this is just the start for me. I will come back stronger in LA 2023 and I will get that gold medal,” Lee declared in his post-match interview.
While we look forward to cheering Lee on at the next leg of his badminton career, here are seven things to know about the 26-year-old Olympic Bronze winner.
1. He comes from a family of athletes
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Lee was born on 29 March 1998 in Alor Setar, Kedah to Lee Chee Hin and Leow Siet Peng, both teachers and former national basketball players. His mother represented the country in the 1993 SEA Games in Singapore, while his father was the best national player at the age of 16.
With his athletic genes and towering height of 1.86 metres, he could very well have followed in his parents’ footsteps but chose otherwise. “I seemed to excel in badminton more than basketball, and I went in that direction,” he divulged.
2. He started playing badminton at the age of six
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He first picked up the racquet at six years old, when his father brought him to a badminton club in Kedah. “I started playing just for health reasons before improving better and better,” states his BWF profile.
After excelling at the sport in under-12 competitions, he was drafted into the Bukit Jalil Sports School. By the time he was 19, he had won his first international title at the Victor Polish International 2017 championship.
3. He doesn’t want to be compared with Datuk Lee Chong Wei
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Understandably, he is often compared to former Malaysian badminton hero Datuk Lee Chong Wei, but the younger athlete prefers to focus on what he can bring to the court.
“At first, I think I couldn’t handle it well because suddenly [after Chong Wei’s retirement] there was so much pressure and so much hope on me because everyone was starting to [talk] about me and Datuk Lee Chong Wei,” he told Olympic Channel.
“So when I lose, then people blame me. ‘Why I can’t be like Lee Chong Wei, you know, always winning. Lee Chong Wei always wins.’ From there, I start to feel like there’s so much pressure on me,” he added.
“So what I told myself is ‘I don’t want to become Lee Chong Wei.’ I just want to be who I am.”, Lee concludes.
4. He won the All-England five years before his senior
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Who can forget Lee’s stunning performance at the 2021 All England Open? Facing crowd-favourite and defending champion Viktor Axelsen, Lee came up victorious against the Dane in a gruelling rubber match that ended 30-29, 20-22, and 21-9. Before this, the athlete from Alor Setar was on a roll having limited World No. 1 Kento Momota in two straight sets.
Significantly, Lee clinched the title at only 22 years old—five years before Lee Chong Wei first won the Super 1000 championship in 2010 at 28 years old. His victory at the 2021 All England Open was also the first time a Malaysian won since 2017. This marked a huge win for the rising Malaysian sensation as he proved himself against top-seeded players in a high-pressure court.
5. He loves singing and playing the guitar
Off the court, Lee has shown that he is also musically inclined and loves singing, rapping and playing the guitar during his free time. He has uploaded several song covers showing off his vocal and guitar-playing skills to his 1.1 million Instagram followers.
He even has Highlights under his Instagram profile dedicated to his song and rap covers in Bahasa Melayu, Mandarin and English—a multi-talented and multilingual star, he is!
6. His friendship with Soh Wooi Yik runs deep
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The close friendship between Lee and fellow shuttler Soh Wooi Yik is the definition of BFF goals. From their early days of playing as a doubles team at the 2012 Asian Youth Under-15 Championships and 2014 National Junior Grand Prix Finals, the duo have remained the best of mates despite now competing in different badminton categories.
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Lee has never been shy about his bond with Soh as evident by many of his social media posts with the current world No.3 Mens Doubles player and fellow Olympic Bronze winner. From going on trips together to taking silly photos, it’s clear that the two offer each other support off and on the court. Case in point: Lee’s birthday post for Soh calling him a “brother from another mother” and Soh sharing that Lee is someone he could “trust with my whole heart.”
7. He is a proud dog dad
Not much is known about his adorable pet but from his Highlights, Lee has a Golden Retriever called Bruce (Bruce Lee, get it? We love a sense of humour!). When he’s back at his family home in Alor Setar, he frequently plays with Bruce, takes him on walks and sneakily feeds him food. Here’s to more Bruce content!
For more inspiring stories about our very own Malaysian athletes, head here.
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