Malaysia’s men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong and three mixed doubles pairs stormed into the quarter-finals of the Singapore Open badminton championships, Thursday
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(pic) is distressed by the online abuses targeting the national shuttlers.
The three-time men’s singles Olympic silver medallist said that as a former teammate, he was dismayed by the number of online comments abusing the shuttlers who lost their matches in Tokyo.
“I feel so much for them… All I want to say is I know these players. They went on court with only one aim, one goal. To win the game for the flag on the chest, to make us proud.
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“No athlete wants to lose. But that is the reality, each match and each game, surely someone wins and someone loses. Sometimes, it is just not your day. Those watching on TV also experience heartbreak and disappointment, what more the players themselves? Shouldn’t we support them?
Published on: Monday, July 26, 2021
By: Bernama
Zii Jia hits a shot to Artem Pochtarov.
TOKYO: National men’s singles ace Lee Zii Jia got his maiden Olympic outing off to a cracking start with an emphatic 21-5, 21-11 win over Ukraine’s Artem Pochtarov in his opening Group M tie at the Musashino Forest Sport Plaza here on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Zii Jia, who is ranked eighth in the world, was in sizzling form as he turned on the style with his deft flicks and deadly smashes to brush aside his opponent in just 25 minutes.
Zii Jia was clearly a class above in the first game, trouncing the world number 98 Ukrainian 21-5 in just nine minutes before wrapping up the second game with a 21-11 win.