While there has been a lot of clutter in the Malaysian sports scene after the Olympics with continuous tournaments happening one after another (as usually, especially in the badminton court), we often celebrate the achievements from our Malaysian athletes too little and too fast, that we forget they've spent the last 4 years of their lives putting in the hard work, going through extensive training to be where they are today. It's not just the 4 years that we should account for, it takes decades of hard work to be this good at something that most people are unable to even perform at decently, yet some of us have the audacity to sit behind the keyboard and go crazy on our athletes' mistakes. As long as they give their absolute best in the court and field and are proud to fight as a Malaysian citizen, even if they come home without a medal, we should only ever say two things to them.
The first; should always be a sincere ‘Thank You’ with gratitude. Besides the long gruelling hours of training, us netizens would never be able to understand the effort, dedication and commitment that our athletes put in. At any given moment, they could just choose to give up and walk away, but no. These young souls continue to give their all everyday to become better athletes, to represent Malaysia proudly in their tiger-designed tracksuits.
As a Malaysian, it always feels thrilling and exciting to see them come out in their national tracksuit attire. Many might see them as another athlete surviving on taxpayer's money, but all I can see is…. hope. Hope that Malaysia's national anthem will finally play in Paris, hope that Malaysia's sports scene is now able to consistently thrive, hope that Malaysia will finally have our glory and be a force to be reckoned with in the global space. Regardless of the outcome of the games, one thing is for sure - that this glimmer of hope has united Malaysians in every way possible regardless of race, religion and status. An amazing feat that even activism or policy is unable to truly achieve. In that hour of gameplay, we're all able to push aside our differences and come together for a single goal - to give our fullest support to our Malaysian athletes. For that, thank you, our Malaysian athletes; you have united us as one country in our hearts and souls, genuinely.
The second; is that ‘We’re Sorry'. We're sorry for all the pressure that's been placed on you especially during the final moments of a stressful battle, and for being on the receiving end of painful comments whenever you're unable to gain a point or come home with a medal. No matter the reason, malicious comments should never be warranted nor be the norm. Where feedback is due, it can be given in proper manner - rude and ignorant comments only aim to hurt others and for that, we're truly sorry. As our Malaysian athletes continue to do their best in the training grounds everyday, we Malaysians must aim to do and be better too - be kind and constructive in your words, and give acknowledgement where it's due. No one aims to fail on purpose.
Once again, to our Malaysian Olympians & Paralympians; thank you for all your contributions, and we're sorry!
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