IT was disappointing to watch Lee Chong Wei play against China’s Lin Dan in the badminton finals of the Beijing Olympics.

Nevertheless, it was also a proud moment for the nation because Lee was playing under tremendous pressure as he was not only playing against the world No. 1 but also against a partisan crowd.

I am sure that Lee did his best. So I was happy to see him getting a hero’s welcome at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

It was good to see that the nation had not deserted him. The show of support indicates that we are mature enough to accept defeat graciously when one has given his best.

I felt even prouder when the prime minister and his deputy granted him an audience at Parliament House.
It was touching to see Lee grinning from ear to ear with all the attention given to him.

I would not be doing justice if I did not shower some praise on his coach, Misbun Sidek.

My four children, who watched all of Lee’s matches, were full of praise at the cool and relaxed attitude of Misbun. He has proven to the nation that even a local coach can bring success if we put our heart and soul into it.

I was never really fond of Misbun as a player because of his antics.

But on Sunday, he proved that we do not need to depend on foreign coaches who demand high salaries.