There’s one more thing Malaysians have to be proud of when it comes to Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei – he’s officially become the first Malaysian athlete to get his own wax figure displayed at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong!
“I would never have imagined a wax figure of my own! Thank you @madametussaudshongkong for the privilege and I’m extremely honoured to be the first Malaysian sportsman to join the list,” he posted on his Facebook.
“Special shout-out to the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong team who were extremely patient and detailed during the detailing session. It was definitely a first for me!” He added, along with the hashtags #pleasedontplayabeckhamcordenprank, #honoured and #staystrongmomota.
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| Lee Chong Wei went through a 6-hour sitting session with the Madame Tussauds Hong Kong team. |
A press statement from Madame Tussauds revealed that the athlete went through a 6-hour sitting session with the aforementioned team, where he not only provided full cooperation but also joked around from time to time to lighten up the atmosphere.
“I’m impressed at how they recorded details so meticulously, including the colour of my hair and eyes! I’m extremely honoured and grateful to be representing Malaysia. I hope that my wax figure will inspire more Malaysians to showcase their talent on the global stage,” he was quoted as saying.
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| The process of creating a wax figure is highly meticulous, here Lee Chong Wei is seen selecting the eye colour closest to his own. |
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| Lee Chong Wei making a cast of his hand as the team recorded every detail meticulously. |
The former world no.1 international badminton player is the second Malaysian to get a wax figure at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, following in the footsteps of actress Michelle Yeoh.
Although he retired last year, he was recently appointed as Malaysia’s chef-de-mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. That’s not surprising considering the fact that he is the first ever badminton player to win the BWF Super Series Masters Finals for three consecutive years and he also ranked the world’s top badminton player for a record 349 weeks.
His wax figure will be unveiled in the second quarter of 2020.