Malaysia's Lee Zii Jia, left, plays against Sri Lanka's Viren Sri Nettasinghe during their men's singles badminton group stage match at Port de la Chapelle Arena during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)
PETALING JAYA: The noise inside Adidas Arena in Port de la Chapelle is so loud that the shuttlers cannot even hear what the umpires are saying sometimes but Lee Zii Jia does not mind.
The independent men’s singles player believes that the presence of so many fans in the stadium is a good sign for the sport.
“The difference between Tokyo (2021 Games) and here is the presence of the fans,” said Zii Jia.
“I can feel the vibes, environment here is very good. The stadium is full and it’s a good sign for our sport.
“The crowd here were making a lot of noise and sometimes I can’t hear what the umpire is saying.
“It’s kind of different from what I’ve been through and we have to adapt to the situation,” added Zii Jia.
Fans were not allowed in the stadium in Tokyo three years ago due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Zii Jia is competing in his second Olympics in Paris after making his debut in Tokyo.
Yesterday, the 26-year-old got off to a good start after brushing aside Sri Lanka’s Viren Nettasinghe 21-14, 21-12 in Group G.
Zii Jia, who hopes to become the first Malaysian to capture gold, was pleased to get his campaign off and running with the win.
“I’m happy to win my first match in this Olympics. It’s a good start for me and hopefully it will get better and better,” said Zii Jia.
“Everyone wants to be in the Olympics and on the podium, so I think for now I’m trying to keep myself calm and not put too much pressure on myself.”
Zii Jia will play Spain’s world No. 62 Pablo Abian in the group next.
Meanwhile, in the women’s singles, debutant Goh Jin Wei will open her campaign in Group H against South Africa’s Johanita Scholtz today.
