KUALA LUMPUR – “No BAM, no Lee Chong Wei,” expressed former national badminton star Datuk Lee Chong Wei at the reveal of his Madame Tussauds wax figure, here today.
The former world No. 1 badminton great shed tears during his speech as he shared the struggles and achievements he had gone through throughout his 19-year career with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
He said nothing came easy to be where he is and he thanked everyone, including BAM and the Youth and Sports Ministry.
“No BAM, no Lee Chong Wei. It was not an easy journey for me. I was with the association for 19 years. They helped me with everything. I had nothing before, and they helped me until I became somebody.
“I remember when I qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where I was faced with a doping case. My ranking fell to 182 but with the support of all parties especially BAM, I was able to return as the number one player in the world within 11 months.
“No BAM, no Lee Chong Wei. It was not an easy journey for me. I was with the association for 19 years. They helped me with everything. I had nothing before, and they helped me until I became somebody." pic.twitter.com/zUJVk7jjWw
— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) March 3, 2023
“I will never forget my coaches Datuk Tey Seu Bock, Datuk Rashid Sidek, Datuk Misbun Sidek – but he is not here today – and Hendrawan.
“To be successful, you cannot work alone. You need a team comprising coaches, physiotherapists, masseurs, BAM support staff, and the (sports) ministry,” he said.
The specially-commissioned wax figure of Chong Wei will make its way to Madame Tussauds Hong Kong where it will be on display permanently from March 18.
Being the first Malaysian athlete to grace the halls of Madame Tussauds, Chong Wei’s wax figure will be featured in The Champions zone, joining other sports icons such as the renowned footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham as well as iconic professional boxer Manny Pacquiao.
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Before the wax figure journeys to Hong Kong, Madame Tussauds held a special showcase in Kuala Lumpur. Chong Wei is also the second Malaysian icon after Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh to be commissioned a wax figure.
It was attended by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and her deputy Adam Adli Abdul Halim as well as the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM), BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, former sports ministers Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
Commemorating the historical moment, Chong Wei donated his Yonex jersey from his final Olympics performance in Rio 2016.
Chong Wei also shared that his stance for the wax figure was his signature “ready to fight” pose that has been seen throughout the years on thousands of badminton courts worldwide before starting any match. – The Vibes, March 3, 2023
