National shuttler Lee Zii Jia brings Olympics medal to his ‘idol’, singer Nicholas Teo

National badminton player Lee Zii Jia made Malaysia proud when he clinched a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last month.

Zii Jia secured the country’s second bronze medal in the games after beating Indian player Lakshya Sen in the men’s singles, finishing with scores of 13-21, 21-16 and 21-11.

On Monday (Sept 1), Zii Jia took to social media to share a picture of himself with local singer Nicholas Teo.

In the photo, the shuttler proudly points to his bronze medal while Teo, 42, gives a thumbs up. Both were dressed in matching black and beige outfits.

“Appreciate,” the 26-year-old captioned his post.

In the comments section, many netizens expressed pride at Zii Jia’s incredible achievement while others joked about a possible collaboration between him and Teo.

“So, will Zii Jia and Nicholas collaborate on a song?” one netizen asked.

Another added: “Both are entertainers and athletes I admire… love and support you guys.”

According to China Press, Teo is one of Zii Jia’s idols and good friends.

The publication added that Zii Jia travelled to Shenzhen last November to support Teo during his first official concert tour in mainland China.

In an Instagram post, Zii Jia described Teo to be a “good older brother and mentor”, adding that the singer supported him during his low points.

He said: “Even though we come from different circles, you still share your experiences to motivate me, becoming a ray of light during dark times.”