KUALA LUMPUR: First there were tears of joy. Then came the sounds of a champagne bottle being popped open at the home of Lee Chong Wei in Cheras yesterday.
It was the happiest moment for Chong Wei’s proud parents – Lee Ah Chai and Khor Kim Choi.
Yesterday, the duo watched on television how their son created history by becoming the first Malaysian to reach the men’s singles final in an Olympic Games series at Beijing with a 62-minute energy-sapping 21-18, 13-21, 21-13 victory over South Korean Lee Hyun-il.
Ah Chai could not help but cry after Chong Wei earned the winning point to set up a dream final against world No. 1 Lin Dan of China.
“I cannot describe my feeling right now ... I am just very proud of my son. I wanted him to reach the final and he has achieved it,” said the 55-year-old pensioner.
“Anything else will be a bonus but I hope that he can nail the country’s first gold medal. I hope he will not disappoint his fans and the Malaysian public.”
On Chong Wei’s match yesterday, his father said: “I would give him 65 out of 100 points. He made many mistakes in the second game. I hope he will cut down on the mistakes when he plays Lin Dan. But he did well in the decider.”
Ah Chai has been instrumental in Chong Wei’s steady rise into a world-beater.
“I used to take him around for training. He first started training at Kampung Berapit (in Penang) under Teh Peng Huat. There were times when we returned home at 2am due to the long distance. But all that is worth it now. Never did I imagine he would come this far.
“But I hardly go to the stadium to support him. I prefer to sit at home and watch him play. I am his best supporter at home,” said the delighted Ah Chai, who was shouting away – “yes lah, good lah and liaw lah” – while watching the match live on television.
Ah Chai, however, had given Chong Wei some anxious moments before the latter’s departure to Beijing.
“I scalded my feet after dropping a pot of hot water at my home (in Bukit Mertajam). I still cannot walk and Chong Wei advised me to stay at his home in Kuala Lumpur here,” added Ah Chai, who received a call from the 26-year-old Chong Wei later.
The Star
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