Malaysia at the Commonwealth Games 2022: Preview, schedule and stars to watch including Lee Zii Jia and Pandelela Rinong
The quadrennial multi-sport event hosted in Birmingham, England will bring together some of the biggest names across the Commonwealth including Malaysia’s own crop of super sports stars.
Four years after electrifying Australia’s Gold Coast, the Commonwealth Games returns to Birmingham, England for its 22nd edition.
Of the 5,000 athletes and para-athletes descending on the West Midlands city to compete in what is often dubbed "The Friendly Games" will be those representing Team Malaysia.
Malaysia has competed in 10 out of 18 editions of the multi-sport event, and to date has won 205 medals including 59 gold, 65 silver and 81 bronze.
Its best ever haul came at the 2010 Games in New Delhi where the Southeast Asian country banked 36 medals in total with 12 gold, while at Gold Coast 2018 it picked up 24 medals including seven gold.
Can Team Malaysia bring their best ever performance to Birmingham?
Get to know some of the stars hoping to bring their best to this summer’s event.
Team Malaysia stars to watch at Birmingham 2022
Lee Zii Jia
When it comes to big Malaysian names competing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games it doesn’t get bigger than badminton ace Lee Zii Jia.
The 24-year-old shuttler is currently in red hot form having recently clinched his third World Tour title at the BWF Thailand Open 2022 thanks to an almighty seven-point comeback in a third game-decider against China’s Li Shifeng.
Birmingham 2022 would mark a Commonwealth debut for Lee who is yet to confirm his participation.
Since 1990, Malaysia have only lost the men’s singles title once at Glasgow 2014 when Kashyap Parupalli of India took the crown, capitalising on the absence of the then titanic Lee Chong Wei who missed the event due to a thigh injury.
With high stakes and the expectations of a nation behind him can Lee turn out gold for Malaysia?
Pandelela Rinong
Leading Team Malaysia’s diving squad at this year’s Commonwealth Games will be established plunging star and reigning champion Pandelela Rinong.
The 29-year-old penned her name in the history books for her country at London 2012 whereafter winning bronze in the 10m platform, she became the first Malaysian female to win an Olympic medal as well as the first in any sport outside of badminton.
From there Rinong has only gone from strength-to-strength. At Rio 2016 she upgraded her Olympic medal from bronze to silver after she finished second in the 10m synchronised platform with Cheong Jun Hoong. It was the event in which she would subsequently go on to take the gold at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.
On the agenda for the Malaysian diving team heading into this summer's competition will be replicating their impressive clean sweep of gold medals at this year’s postponed SEA Games in Hanoi.
For Rinong the focus will undoubtedly be on defending her crown.
Malaysia at Commonwealth Games 2022: Schedule
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will run from 28 July to 8 August and is set to feature 20 sports.
In January it was announced that Malaysia was intending to send sum 140 athletes to England to fill the 92 quota places in addition those who have qualified outright.
As the wait continues for more names to be announced you can find the schedule for Birmingham's multi-sport extravaganza here.
