And hours later at night on Aug 31, I was standing again, this time with my colleagues in the office - beaming with pride, singing along as our national anthem was played at the Adidas Arena in Paris.
Our shuttlers Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei were standing tall on the podium - huge smiles on their faces as they sang with such pride.
The duo had just done the unthinkable - the least expected pair to shine had become world champions.
They had beaten China’s giants and world No. 2 Jiang Zhenbang-Wei Yaxin 21-15, 21-14 with a show of sheer class.
They defied the odds, smashed aside negative perceptions and proved that Malaysia’s mixed doubles is as hot as their fashionable hairstyles and colourful characters.
And who would have thought that a pair who were split due to their differences would come back in such ruthless fashion to end their world championships campaign on a high?
Their coach Nova Widianto of Indonesia has certainly played a huge part in making them not only believe in themselves but in each other.
But all this would not have happened if Tang Jie-Ee Wei had not put their personal differences and pride aside to give this partnership another shot.
This humility in them to look within and improve will take them far.
And who knows, they may even surpass their two-time world champion coach Nova by winning more accolades if they continue to remain grounded in years to come.
I was ready to sing the national song for the third time when Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah made that sensational comeback in the second game and showed fearlessness in the third, but their super best was not enough to take down the mean machine of Liu Shengshu-Tan Ning of China.
Pearly-Thinaah eventually lost in the rubber game but not before tiring out the world No. 1, who at one point seemed clueless on how to counter the clever shots from their opponents.
Gone were the days when we used to take a quick break when the women’s doubles events are played!
There certainly was great pride even in defeat as Pearly-Tan did what no other women pair had done before - clear the quarter-finals for the first time and return home with a meaningful silver medal.
The silver spoke volumes of their growth and grit. They have certainly improved under the guidance of coach Rosman Razak.
To me, there were other ‘’winners without medals’’ at this year’s World Championships.
The men’s doubles department under coach Herry Iman Pierngadi as a whole deserve credit - for restoring our image at the worlds.
Former world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik may have fallen short of their mission but they have done well this year - by guiding the youngsters in the wings to step up together with them under Herry.
The strong performances of Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Wan Arif Wan Junaidi-Yap Roy King have warmed the heart.
Malaysia can now take pride that we have quantity and quality. When one falls, the others will surely stand up.
Then, there is men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia, who showed courage to even turn up at the world meet after going through tough times.
He had to deal with a mental health issue after taking longer than usual to recover from his ankle injury.
And that caused doubts to linger in his mind and he even contemplated giving up. But Zii Jia, instead of suffering in silence, opened up on the eve of the world meet in Paris about his struggles and how he tried to deal with it.
He lost in the first round, in his first tournament after five months, but that’s understandable.
Trust that with time, he can surely find success.
Zii Jia and all the shuttlers at the worlds showed Malaysians that life is never easy - but there is always a way out of troubles.
Whether it is on the badminton court, or a different stage, one should never give up.
Tang Jie-Ee Wei tried again to restore their strained partnership and it led to the world title.
Pearly-Thinaah were on the brink of turning pro due to contract issues but it was resolved and it gave them the resolve to achieve a breakthrough at the worlds.
Aaron-Wooi Yik fell short but their teammates stepped up - to show the power of teamwork under the leadership of a humble Herry.
Many out there are still dealing with their stresses in life alone, feeling hopeless and without help but Zii Jia snapped out of it and showed that acknowledging the problem is already a first step towards healing.
With strong support from all parties, we can look forward to a better showing from Zii Jia.
The Malaysian badminton team have given hope for the nation based on their strong showing in Paris that no matter how tough a situation is, each one of us can overcome it.
Like the shuttlers, let’s keep the fight and faith.
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