Lee Chong Wei misses world title bid but warms hearts of Malaysians with ‘cute and meaningful’ Ramadan message
- The 36-year-old is on the comeback trail after recovering from nose cancer and recalls sharing dawn meals with Muslim teammates in his younger days
- The three-time Olympic silver medallist has failed to qualify for August’s worlds and there are no wild card places on offer
Badminton star Lee Chong Wei may have lost his chance to win the world title for the first time, but he is still a beloved icon in his home country after he sent a heart-warming Ramadan message to Malaysia’s Muslim community, recalling his younger days as a district player when he would share dawn meals with his fasting teammates.
Malaysians of all ethnicities and religions hailed their greatest sporting hero at a difficult time for the 36-year-old, who is recovering from nose cancer and is coping with missing out on the national badminton team for the next world championships.
Wearing a traditional Malay Baju Melayu outfit, three-time Olympic silver medallist Lee’s post on the main social media sites said he treasured the days when he would travel to district competitions with his teammates.
“Usually we slept in the hostel and my teammates were Malays, Chinese and Indians,” wrote Lee, who has the royal title “Datuk”. “The best part is that, while training and during Ramadan months, the call for sahoor [the dawn meal before the time to fast] would start and I would join them [Muslim] players in eating as well.
“For me, having sahoor with all my teammates and other players was the best memory of my formative years.
