Rashid Sidek di Olimpik Atlanta 1996

Rashid Sidek muncul sebagai pemain badminton perseorangan negara yang pertama memenangi pingat di pentas Sukan Olimpik.

Rashid berjaya memenangi pingat gangsa di Sukan Olimpik Atlanta 1996 dengan menewaskan juara dunia 1995 dari Indonesia, Heryanto Arbi, 5-15, 15-11, 15-6 dalam perlawanan penentuan pingat gangsa.

Sebelum itu, Rashid berjaya mengejutkan pilihan pertama Joko Suprianto dari Indonesia di peringkat suku akhir dengan kemenangan 15-5, 15-12. tetapi terkandas di peringkat separuh akhir apabila tewas 6-15, 16-18 kepada Dong Jiong dari China.

Rashid menang mudah ke atas Andrey Antropov (15-11, 17-7) dan Yu Lizhi (15-5, 15-2), masing-masing dari Rusia dan China di pusingan kedua dan ketiga.

Di Atlanta juga, pasangan beregu lelaki negara, Cheah Soon Kit dan Yap Kim Hock memenangi pingat perak setelah tumpas 15-5, 13-15, 12-15 kepada pasangan Indonesia, Ricky Subagja dan Rexy Mainaky di perlawanan akhir.

Sukan badminton mula dipertandingkan di Olimpik Barcelona 1992. Sebelumnya ia pernah dipamerkan buat pertama kali di Sukan Olimpik Munich 1972. Pada edisi di Barcelona, beregu lelaki kebangsaan, Razif dan Jalani Sidek telah berjaya menyumbang pingat gangsa yang pertama untuk negara.

Pada hari ini, pemain perseorangan lelaki negara, Lee Zii Jia akan berentap dengan Chen Long dari China di peringkat kalah mati di Sukan Olimpik Tokyo. Selamat maju jaya Lee Zii Jia! Sama-sama kita berikan sokongan padu kepadanya.

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Rashid Sidek at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics

Rashid Sidek emerged as the first national singles badminton player to win a medal on the Olympic stage.

Rashid won the bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics by defeating the 1995 world champion from Indonesia, Heryanto Arbi, with a score of 5-15 15-11 15-6 in the bronze medal match.

Earlier on, Rashid managed to surprise first choice Joko Suprianto also from Indonesia in the quarterfinals with a 15-5 15-12 victory. However, he fell to defeat in the semifinals after losing 6-15 16-18 to Dong Jiong of China.

In the second and third rounds, Rashid won easily over Andrey Antropov (15-11, 17-7) and Yu Lizhi from Russia and China respectively.

Also at the Atlanta Games, Malaysia’s men’s doubles pair, Cheah Soon Kit and Yap Kim Hock, won the silver medal after losing 15-5, 13-15, 12-15 to Indonesian pair Ricky Subagja and Rexy Mainaky in the final match.

Badminton was first competed at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics after previously demonstrated at the 1972 Munich Olympics as an exhibition. The pairing of Razif and Jailani Sidek for men’s doubles won Malaysia’s first Olympic bronze medal in Barcelona.

Later today, men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia will face Chen Long from China in the elimination round of the Tokyo Olympics. We wish him all the best! Let us all send some support his way.