PETALING JAYA, Aug 21 — The mood at the restaurant where Datuk Lee Chong Wei’s brother, Chong Hoon, had gathered with family and friends to watch the badminton final was sombre when it finally ended.
Chong Hoon sat through the first set surrounded by his friends. Just before the second game began, he was seen stepping out and pacing about in disappointment as several friends tried to comfort him.
When the final score came about, the restaurant fell silent.
It was hard not to miss the exultant claps for Chong Wei as he was garlanded with his silver Rio medal. Neither was it impossible to spot the stony silence and icy glares as Chen Long got his gold medal.
Barely able to hold back his tears, Chong Hoon thanked members of the press and those present for continuing to support his brother to the end.
“After he beat Lin Dan in the semifinal, his goal was to finally get a gold medal,” said the 43-year-old.
“To say it’s heartbreaking is an understatement, only God knows how much Chong Wei has sacrificed to make it this far. He may have lost tonight, but he’s a champion to us.”
