KUALA LUMPUR: Chiam Zi Hong was only seven when Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei retired but the Malaysian great still became one of the players who shaped the 14-year-old’s badminton journey.
Too young to have followed Chong Wei through the prime of his career, Zi Hong instead discovered him through old match videos online and studyed how the former world No. 1 constructed rallies, controlled the net and waited patiently for his opportunity to attack.
And now, the Johor youngster is making strides in a tournament carrying his idol’s name.
Zi Hong secured his place in the Lee Chong Wei Cup Grand Finals on Sunday after surviving a gripping boys’ Under-15 qualifying battle against Perak's William Phoon, winning 15-11,12-15, 17-15 at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara.
His victory earned him a spot in the 64-player Grand Finals draw, where 32-players who emerged from qualifying will join another 32 pre-selected players comprising state and national team members as the tournament enters its main phase.
From there, the field will be whittled down through the knockout rounds towards the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final and thus giving Zi Hong the chance to measure himself against an even stronger field.
"This is a big tournament and there are many strong players here," said Zi Hong.
"I want to compete against them and gain more experience."
Zi Hong already has a respectable junior resume of his own as he has win the Affin 100Plus Junior Elite singles titles in the Under-12 (2024) and Under-14 (2025).
His biggest overseas success came this year when he lifted the Under-15 singles title at the Yonex-Singha-Bat-Bty Championships in Bangkok, staged by the renowned Banthongyord badminton set-up which produced Thai world champions Ratchanok Intanon and Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
He had earlier reached the final of the 2024 Pathumthani Junior International Series.
Zi Hong is already certain where he wants badminton to eventually take him.
"I want to enter the national team, represent Malaysia and hopefully play at the Olympics and World Championships," he said.
“After SPM, I hope I can enter BAM, focus on training and start playing more international tournaments.”
Chong Wei remains one of the players he studies closely.
“I watched his full matches online,” said Zi Hong.
“I like how steady he was. He would control the rally and the net first, then wait for the opportunity to attack.
"I’m not at that level yet, but I’m slowly trying to learn from the way he played."
Doing well in a tournament bearing Chong Wei’s name, he believes, could provide another important confidence boost.
"If I can do well here, maybe more people will know me and maybe the coaches will notice me too," he said.
Minister of Federal Territories YB Hannah Yeoh, meanwhile, paid a visit to Stadium Juara to show her support for the young participants.
Familiar badminton faces were also present, including Chong Wei’s former national teammates Tan Boon Heong and Ong Yew Sin and his wife who is former Japanese women’s singles ace Aya Ohori.
Chong Wei also engaged with participants in a meet and greet session although judging from the queues, some of the parents appeared every bit as excited as their children to meet the four-time All-England champion.
