KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia's bronze medal victory at the Paris Olympics, while falling short of his gold medal ambition, has undoubtedly restored pride for Malaysia in men's singles.
The most significant outcome from these Games is Zii Jia becoming the first shuttler to win an Olympic medal as a professional, demonstrating that success can be achieved outside the national team structure.
Although the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) played a crucial role in Zii Jia's early development, his journey over the past two-and-a-half years to reach the Olympic podium at La Chapelle Arena on Monday is truly remarkable.
When Zii Jia initially made his bold decision to go professional, he faced considerable criticism. Many believed he was not yet a complete player and unprepared to compete independently.
Several of his former teammates, including Rio Olympics silver medallists Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong in men's doubles and Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying in mixed doubles, had also left the national team to turn professional, but they did so in the later stages of their careers.
Zii Jia has now silenced his critics by securing a medal in his second Olympic appearance.
While it may not be the gold that he aimed for, he views it as a significant step towards future success.
"This is a good start to my (Olympic) journey. I will definitely be back for Los Angeles 2028 and I will try to get the gold for myself and Malaysia," he said after defeating India's Lakshya Sen 13-21, 21-16, 21-11 in the bronze medal playoff.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Zii Jia should be able to compete in at least two more Olympic Games.
Looking ahead to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, it seems likely that Malaysia will once again depend on Zii Jia for the men's singles challenge, as no junior players currently appear capable of rivalling his position as national No. 1.
Three players who potentially could catch up to Zii Jia are Ng Tze Yong, Leong Jun Hao, and Justin Hoh. It will be intriguing to see if Tze Yong can make a strong comeback from his extended injury and resume his impressive rise, while Justin might accelerate his progress into the elite ranks.
The responsibility now falls on BAM to develop the next generation of reliable stars from their current pool of talent to join Zii Jia in the relentless pursuit of the elusive badminton gold medal.
BAM might consider allowing their current established stars to turn professional, provided the players share this intention. This could enable BAM to focus its resources on nurturing the next wave of top players.
It's noteworthy that Tze Yong and Jun Hao only began to make their mark after Zii Jia's departure from the national team.
A similar pattern emerged in the mixed doubles category, where Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei rose to prominence after more than a year of experimenting with different pairings following the exit of senior pairs in 2021.
Zii Jia's achievement demonstrates that the two "engines" - the national team and professional players - as BAM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria often mentions, can function simultaneously to benefit Malaysian badminton.
Through collaborative efforts, these two segments can operate systematically. If complemented by programmes like Road to Gold, Malaysia could undoubtedly secure greater representation at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, thereby increasing the chances of winning the coveted gold medal.