Malaysian\'s Bid for a Gold Medal Falls Short, Deflating Fans in Queens

By CHRIS PALMER

There were bagels. There was badminton. And, in the end, there was bitter disappointment.

At the CP Badminton Club in College Point, where groups of Malaysians often gather to play the game, about 25 enthusiasts gathered over breakfast early Sunday morning to watch the Olympic men's singles final between Malaysia's Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan, the world's two best players and archrivals.

Spectators, who were mostly Malaysian immigrants, sat in an amphitheater of benches and chairs surrounding a large television screen, which was connected to a computer streaming the match from the Internet. Coffee, bagels, pastries and bags of potato chips sat on a nearby table, and a fan hummed in the background to keep the anxious viewers cool.

The contest - a rematch of the 2008 Olympic final in Beijing, which Mr. Lin won - was widely anticipated within the badminton community. But for Malays ian immigrants, the match took on added significance: Mr. Lee, who is approaching retirement and not expected to compete in the 2016 Olympics, represented Malaysia's best hope for a gold medal, which the country has never won.

But that hope was dashed on Sunday, as Mr. Lin won a thrilling contest, 2 games to 1, and eked out the deciding game by a score of 21-19. As he sprinted around the court in London celebrating his victory, the contingent of spectators in Queens - almost all pulling for Mr. Lee, who collapsed in agony after the final point - groaned in disbelief.

“It's sad,” said Rick Yong, 55. “It's like you grab the gold and then it's slipping away.”

Mr. Lee actually led the match toward the end; when he won a point to go up 19-18, the crowd in the club yelled “Dua lagi!,” Malay for two more.

The entire match was a tense affair. During the first game, which Mr. Lee won, Ming Tan, 23, repeatedly alternated between sitting and standing .

“I have to keep moving,” he said, bouncing on his toes. He attributed his need to fidget to nerves.

And Kevin Ng, 38, said the intensity of the competitors was palpable, even if they were thousands of miles away.

“This is the best game I've ever seen,” he said. “This is like mental war. I kind of feel it too.”

The fervor reached crescendo in the final game, as supportive screams echoed off the club's concrete walls with Mr. Lee on the brink of capturing Malaysia's first ever Olympic gold.

But in the end, as his final shot landed behind the baseline and Mr. Lin secured the title, Malaysian hopes for glory were reduced to a silver consolation prize.

“It was a good match,” Dennis Ng, the club's 39-year-old owner, said wistfully.

It could be awhile before Malaysia has another opportunity for a gold medal, club members said. When asked to predict the year that a Malaysian could next contend for top Olympic honors, Mr. Mi ng shook his head.

“Oh, I don't know,” he said.

Reminded that Mr. Lee has had an on-again, off-again relationship with Wong Mew Choo, a former top women's singles player, he smiled.

“Maybe their kid in 20 years,” he said.