KUALA LUMPUR: "Saya sayang awak (I love you)."
This simple, heartfelt message was expressed by men's badminton doubles player Nur Izzuddin Rumsani to his wife, Mawar Mutiara, following the birth of their first child.
The arrival of their new family member will undoubtedly bring added motivation for Izzuddin to strive for more wins in future tournaments.
His wife reciprocated with a message on Instagram, "Kami lebih sayang awak (We love you more)."
The couple tied the knot on Sept 23, last year.
In just two months, Izzuddin and his partner Goh Sze Fei have celebrated two significant victories, winning the Japan Open (Super 750) on Aug 25, and more recently, the China Open (Super 1000), which holds great significance for the national men's doubles team.
To date, Izzuddin and Goh have earned RM892,000 in prize money from four tournaments. Their biggest win at the China Open brought in US$148,000 (RM622,000), followed by US$62,900 (RM264,000) from the Japan Open.
After a disappointing early exit in the Korea Open (Super 500) earlier this month, the duo managed to reach the round of 16 at the Hong Kong Open (Super 500).