KUALA LUMPUR (13 JANUARY, 2017) : Bangsar Hawks BC’s Lee Ying Ying is grateful for her chance to shine with her team during the recently concluded Stage 1 of the SS Purple League (SSPL) 2016/17.

The national shuttler, who was so successful during the round robin phase, is now determined to use her knowledge and experience gained to take her game to the next level.

She played in the Women’s Singles category and quickly became a key figure for her Bangsar Hawks team when it came to collecting points. Not only that, she became an instant hit and a crowd favourite.

Ying Ying started all nine matches for Bangsar Hawks and in those matches, she managed to win seven, drew one against Malaysia Women Number 1, Goh Jin Wei and only lost to Muar BC’s Indonesian import, Rusydina Antardayu.

She even managed to beat her national team compatriots, Ho Yen Mei (Ampang Jaya BC), Lim Yin Fun (Petaling BC) and Tee Jing Yi (Kepong BC).
When asked about her impressive record, the 19-year old said that one of the reasons to her successful run is because she gives her best in all her matches.

“I knew my team (Bangsar Hawks) isn’t the strongest team in the SS Purple League. Therefore it gave me extra motivation to play well and collect maximum points for my team. Besides that, the format of 11 points and 30 minutes time limit requires a fast pace and aggressive game play, so I just gave my fullest in all matches to win,” said Ying Ying.

Although Bangsar Hawks could not secure a place among the top 6 teams during Stage 1 of the SS Purple League, their willingness to play young players benefited Ying Ying and her teammates.

“Bangsar Hawks might not be in a good position in the Purple League but to be honest, despite that, the management has never pressured us. Instead, they prefer to give the young players such as myself to gain exposure from playing in the Purple League and freedom to enjoy the game. It will definitely be a confidence booster for us,” said Lee.

“I have many teammates that come from different countries such as China, Indonesia and Singapore. So it is also a good exposure and experience playing with them in Bangsar Hawks,” said the Ipoh-born player.

According to Ying Ying, her ultimate goal is to cement a spot in the national team setup and one day be a mainstay in the squad.

She, who idolises Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei, is aiming high as she wants to represent Malaysia in the Olympics 2020. However, she remains focused and is training hard to be in contention to be selected for the SEA Games which will be played in home soil later this year.