
Beijing: Hundreds of Malaysian athletes and officials received their first dose of the COVID vaccine on Tuesday, at Desa Tasik Sports Complex Hall in Cheras, Malaysia.
There was a total of 264 people showed up to get their first shot of the Pfizer vaccine. These were athletes or officials who would be directly or indirectly involved in the Tokyo Olympics and the Tokyo Paralympics.
Goh Liu Ying posted a video of her getting vaccinated on Facebook, and she looked calm during the shot.
Goh’s mixed doubles partner, Chan Peng Soon appeared so innocent and looked a little bit funny when receiving the shot.
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In order to secure their place in the top 8 of the Race to Tokyo rankings, Goh/Chan didn’t want to take things for granted and have decided to travel to India to compete at the India Open that will be held from May 11 to May 16.
On Monday, India has the world’s second-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases, surpassing Brazil. India is currently being hit by a second wave of the coronavirus, with confirmed daily infections reaching an all-time high of 168,912 on Monday.
Meanwhile, reigning All England champion, Lee Zii Jia was reportedly ill and didn’t get his first dose of COVID-19 shot on Tuesday.
Malaysia’s men’s singles chief coach Hendrawan said that Lee was not feeling well, probably due to attending too many functions after winning 2021 All England.
“We checked with the doctor at the National Sports Institute (ISN), they said Zii Jia has a normal fever. He did a swab test and also a blood test for suspected dengue fever, and all came back negative,” said Hendrawan.
“He probably was very tired and need more rest as he was attending many events after returning from the UK,” added Hendrawan.
Hendrawan pointed out that the National Sports Council (NSC) will reschedule Lee to get vaccinated soon. He also felt more secure for himself and the athletes after the first vaccine shot, especially when they have to compete in many tournaments abroad.
“I am happy to get the vaccine and the overall process was smooth. This added a layer of protection for the team during our preparation for the Tokyo Games,” explained Hendrawan.