Former world No 1 Lee Chong Wei wants the young Malaysian badminton squad to continue growing and build on their Sudirman Cup success for the future.
Like all Malaysians, Chong Wei felt immense joy and pride when the Lee Zii Jia-led national team created history by defeating Indonesia for the first time in the world mixed team championship.
The 3-2 win at the Energia Areena in Vantaa (Finland) on Friday, also saw Malaysia clear the quarter-final stage for the first time since the 2009 edition in Guangzhou.
"Unbelievable, the young Malaysian team were simply unbelievable," Chong Wei told Timesport yesterday.
"That fighting spirit to upset the great Indonesians, who would have thought of it? Even I didn't think it was possible at first.
"Indonesia were the clear favourites to win the tie, but our players played like tigers, all of them, starting with Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, who scored that superb win over world No 1 Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo.
"These young players are our future stars, and this is their beginning. This is what they must build on, but they should never get big-headed.
"They are now an inspiration for many. Their blood, sweat and tears have paid off, now go reach for the stars," Chong Wei added.
The 39-year-old, who hung up his racquet in 2019, also applauded the BA of Malaysia (BAM) for silencing their critics as many thought their young and inexperienced squad would not go far in the championship.
"I congratulate BAM and president (Tan Sri Norza Zakaria) for standing their ground to name a young team for the Sudirman Cup. They believed that it was time to invest in the young for the future, and it has paid off handsomely.
"Now, all the young players, including those from the States, will be inspired by this masterstroke.
"Even my sons want to be Zii Jia. That's how we get inspired," Chong Wei noted.
The three-time Olympic silver medallist reiterated that credit must also go to the coaches who have done a lot to motivate the players, especially in this time of the pandemic.
"As players, we enjoy these moments. But when there is nothing to play for, we lose motivation.
"I know this because I was a national athlete. I never went through a pandemic but if I were to go without a tournament for four months, I would get demotivated.
"Some of these players had gone for more than a year without a tournament, and these coaches had sacrificed so much to keep them going. I take my hat off to them.
"They must now build on this success too and create a programme around it for the players to continue growing," Chong Wei said.
BAM have indicated that they are looking ahead to the next couple of Olympic cycles and not just the 2024 Paris Games.
For the record, the average age of Malaysia's Sudirman Cup squad is 22.