Malaysian Sports Super Fan Says He Spent RM12,000 To Support Athletes At Paris Olympics
You've definitely seen him on TV!
By May Vin Ang — 05 Aug 2024, 05:56 PM
An enthusiastic Malaysian sports fan has gotten to live his dream by attending the Paris 2024 Olympics
36-year-old Yap Ken Vun from Tenom, Sabah, has always dreamed of seeing his favourite athletes compete at the most prestigious sporting event in the world.
However, his plans were thwarted in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics, and prevented fans from attending.
"I was supposed to be in Japan, but due to the pandemic, only athletes, officials, and staff were allowed at the Games," Yap explained.
Despite his initial disappointment, Yap said he set his sights on the Paris Olympics in four years, even though it meant a significantly higher expense compared to Tokyo.
Yap revealed to SAYS that he saved and spent over RM12,000 in preparation for the Paris Games
This included RM6,900 on tickets for badminton and athletics events, RM3,200 for round-trip flights to Paris, and RM1,800 for one week's accommodation.
Additionally, he spent another RM2,000 on tickets to watch the Malaysian badminton team's matches when they advanced to the semi-finals — men's doubles, women's doubles, and men's singles, respectively — as well as to watch them play bronze medal matches.
As a human resources executive at a manufacturing firm, Yap said he had diligently saved for this trip, and even opened a special savings account just for the Olympics.
"It was challenging because I wanted to withdraw the money for emergencies many times, but I held firm for this," said the avid fan.
He added that he had to set aside money every month to ensure he could afford the trip.
We spotted Yap cheering for Pearly-Thinaah during the women's doubles semi-finals on national TV!
Image via RTMKlik/SAYSHis efforts paid off, as Yap can be spotted in the crowd at the Porte De La Chapelle Arena, proudly wearing a Kadazan-Dusun ethnic costume and Jalur Gemilang tanjak, and cheering passionately at every Malaysian badminton game
"Actually, I wanted to support all the Malaysian athletes, but it all came down to cost!" Yap admitted, when asked which events he has attended over the week.
He told SAYS that he decided to focus his attention on badminton and athletics, namely Muhd Azeem Fahmi in the men's 100m sprint.
As a long-time supporter of men's doubles pair Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, Yap added that he was thrilled to witness the amazing bronze medal victory they achieved on Sunday evening.
