| Rank | Event | Year | Location | |
| Olympic Games | ||||
| 2 | Singles | 2008 | Beijing, CHN | |
| Last 16 | Singles | 2004 | Athens, GRE | |
| World Championships | ||||
| 2 | Singles | 2011 | London, GBR | |
| 3 | Singles | 2005 | Anaheim, CA, USA | |
| Quarterfinal | Singles | 2010 | Paris, FRA | |
| Quarterfinal | Singles | 2009 | Hyderabad, IND | |
| Asian Games | ||||
| 2 | Singles | 2010 | Guangzhou, CHN | |
| OSIM BWF Super Series | ||||
| 1 | Singles | 2012 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open GP Gold, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2012 | VICTOR Korea Open Super Series Premier, KOR | |
| 1 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex French Super Series, FRA | |
| 1 | Singles | 2011 | Bankaltim Indonesia Open Grand Prix Gold, INA | |
| 1 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex Sunrise Syed Modi Memorial India Open Grand , IND | |
| 1 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex All England Super Series, GBR | |
| 1 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Super Series, CHN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex Japan Super Series, JPN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Indonesia Grand Prix Gold, INA | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex All England Super Series, GBR | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | VICTOR Korea Open Grand Prix, KOR | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Super Series, CHN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Djarum Indonesia Super Series, INA | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Wilson Swiss Super Series, SUI | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open, MAS | |
| 2 | Singles | 2012 | Yonex Sunrise India Open Super Series, IND | |
| 2 | Singles | 2012 | Yonex All England Super Series, GBR | |
| 2 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex Denmark Open Super Series, DEN | |
| 2 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex Japan Super Series, JPN | |
| 2 | Singles | 2011 | HWASUN VICTOR Korea Grand Prix Gold, KOR | |
| 2 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex All England Super Series, GBR | |
| 2 | Singles | 2009 | YONEX Korea Super Series, KOR | |
| 2 | Singles | 2008 | Li Ning China Open Super Series, CHN | |
| 2 | Singles | 2008 | Yonex Japan Super Series, JPN | |
| 3 | Singles | 2011 | Li Ning China Open Super Series, CHN | |
| 3 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Super Series, CHN | |
| 3 | Singles | 2009 | Li Ning China Masters Super Series, CHN | |
| 3 | Singles | 2008 | French Super Series, FRA | |
| World Grand Prix | ||||
| 1 | Singles | 2012 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open GP Gold, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2011 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open Grand Prix Gold, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Super Series, CHN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex Japan Super Series, JPN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Kumpoo Macau Open, CHN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Indonesia Grand Prix Gold, INA | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex All England Super Series, GBR | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2010 | VICTOR Korea Open Grand Prix, KOR | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex Sunrise Hong Kong Super Series, CHN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Macau Grand Prix Gold, CHN | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open, MAS | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Djarum Indonesia Super Series, INA | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Wilson Swiss Super Series, SUI | |
| 1 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex-Sunrise Malaysia Open, MAS | |
| 2 | Singles | 2009 | Yonex All England Super Series, GBR | |
| 2 | Singles | 2009 | YONEX Korea Super Series, KOR | |
| 2 | Singles | 2008 | Li Ning China Open Super Series, CHN | |
| 2 | Singles | 2008 | Macau Grand Prix Gold, CHN | |
| 2 | Singles | 2008 | Yonex Japan Super Series, JPN | |
| 3 | Singles | 2009 | Li Ning China Masters Super Series, CHN | |
| 3 | Singles | 2008 | French Super Series, FRA | |
| Thomas & Uber Cup | ||||
| 3 | Team | 2010 | Kuala Lumpur, MAS | |
| 5 | Team | 2012 | Wuhan, CHN | |
| Li Ning Sudirman Cup | ||||
| 3 | Team | 2009 | Guangzhou, CHN | |
Occupation
Athlete
Language(s) spoken
English, Malay
Coach
Tey Seu Bock, Rashid Sidek (thestar.com.my, 09 Jan 2012)
Handedness
Right (Melbourne, 2006)
Debut
1999 (badminton-information.com, 31 Jul 2008)
Injuries
In March 2012 he suffered a shoulder injury. (timesofindia.com, 30 Apr 2012)
He withdrew from the 2011 Macau Open because of physical and mental exhaustion. (nst.com.my, 01 Dec 2011)
He suffered ankle pain during the gold medal final at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. (dnaindia.com, 19 Oct 2010)
He suffered knee pains while playing in the 2007 Danish and French Opens and required light training for two weeks following the tournaments. (thestar.com.my, 20 Nov 2007)
In November 2006 he needed six stitches for a head injury sustained when an out of control car struck him from behind. (Gulf Times, 06 Nov 2006)
Additional information
Start of sporting career
He took up badminton at age 11, when his father took him to a local badminton hall. (Sport366.com, 13 Dec 2008)
Reason for taking up this sport
In his early years, he favoured basketball, but his mother wasn't keen because of the extreme heat of the outdoor basketball court. Instead his father introduced him to badminton and he soon attracted the attention of a local coach who wanted to take him on as a student. With his father's permission he began to train with the coach after school. (Sport366.com, 13 Dec 2008)
Ambitions
To win a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and to retire at the peak of his career having won all of the sport's major tournaments. (deccanherald.com, 13 Apr 2012; badminton-information.com, 31 Jul 2008)
Hero
Chinese badminton player Sun Jun, because he combined quick reflexes and lightning speed on court. (badminton-information.com, 31 Jul 2008)
Awards
He was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2009. (AFP 27 Feb 2009)
In August 2008 he was awarded a Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri [DSPN], which carries the title Datuk by Governor of Penang, Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas. (asiaonenews, 20 Aug 2008)
He won Malaysia's National Sportsman Award in 2005. (Bernama, 5 Apr 2006)
General
MALAYSIA FIRST
At the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing he became the first badminton player from Malaysia to reach the men's singles final. His silver medal was Malaysia's first since the 1996 Games in Atlanta. He received RM300,000 as a reward for his efforts as well as a RM3,000 a month pension for the rest of his life. (Daily Express News, 18 Aug 2008, asiaonenews, 20 Aug 2008)
EXPLOSIVENESS
When asked about the best aspect of his game: "I would say that it is the explosiveness that I possess in my game. Like a crouching tiger waiting to pounce on its prey." (badminton-information.com, 31 Jul 2008)
Previous Olympics
Beijing 2008, Athens 2004
