Malaysia's badminton coach Hendrawan lends shoes to rival player during match at 2022 Commonwealth Games

SINGAPORE: In a display of sportsmanship during a badminton match between Malaysia and Jamaica at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Malaysia's badminton coach Hendrawan was seen removing and passing his shoes to a player on the rival team.

The kind gesture came after Jamaican badminton player Samuel Ricketts' footwear was damaged while competing against Malaysia's Ng Tze Yong.

The video showing the act of kindness was shared on Twitter by Commonwealth Sport on Sunday (Jul 31). It has since garnered more than 6,300 likes.

The footage showed a close-up of a deep tear in the heel of Rickett's right shoe during the match on Jul 29. A person is then observed helping him cut off the damaged portion with a pair of scissors. 

Hendrawan, clad in his national coaching uniform, then approaches Ricketts to offer his own pair of shoes as a replacement, enabling the Jamaican athlete to continue with the competition.

In an Instagram post on Jul 30, Hendrawan said that he was compelled to help Ricketts as he did not want the Jamaican badminton player to drop out of the competition due to a damaged shoe.  "I learnt that there is something bigger than a competition - namely love, respect and humanity," he wrote.

Ricketts eventually lost 0-2 to his Malaysian opponent.

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