- The 23-year-old gets huge support from a local forum supporting the ongoing protests and from spectators who watched his badminton game
- Netizens think Lee was gesturing ‘Five demands, Not one less’ and praised him for being a ‘true Hong Kong athlete’
Home shuttler Lee Cheuk-yiu created a storm when he won his opening round singles match at the Yonex-Sunrise Hong Kong Open " and it had nothing to do with his winning performance.
With an open palm and one finger raised in his other hand, Lee celebrated his surprise first-round 21-14, 21-16 victory over Thailand's Sitthikom Thammasin at the Coliseum on Wednesday night in a gesture netizens are saying is in support of the protesters in the city that has been crippled by the social unrest.
His gesture received huge support from a popular local forum, who is backing the protesters and he received a rousing round of applause from spectators who attended the match.
When pressed by the media why he made the gesture, Lee refused to explain his actions and said: "Those who understand will understand, those who don't, just forget it".
He added: "We don't only show our determination on the badminton court, we can also show it in other aspects." However, netizens think his gesture was referring to the "Five Demands, Not One Less" that protesters demanded from the government.
Lee won more fans with his determination and control to reach the last 16 on Thursday night after claiming the scalp of Chinese third seed, Shi Yuqi 21-9, 26-24.
A netizen commented that Lee was "so cool" and that he was a "true Hong Kong athlete. "Proud of you, proud of us," he wrote.
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Another netizen pointed out that a lot of Hong Kong athletes are not supporting the protest in fear of retribution from authorities. Hong Kong's top cyclist, Sarah Lee Wai-sze, came in for some sharp criticism when she posted something on her Facebook page recently.
"Sarah Lee just mentioned something about an umbrella and was then ostracised. I hope Lee will not be "DQ" soon."
Another netizen said: "He (Lee Cheuk-yiu) is an athlete with true spirit. We must support him so he won't be getting into any trouble by showing this".
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