▁were ▁first ▁kept ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ), ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁Malays ian ▁sh utt ler ▁to ▁hold ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁ranking ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁year . ▁ ▁W id ely ▁considered ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁greatest ▁bad m inton ▁players ▁of ▁all ▁time , ▁Lee ▁is ▁a ▁triple ▁silver ▁medal ist ▁at ▁the ▁Olympic ▁Games , ▁and ▁the ▁sixth ▁Malays ian ▁to ▁win ▁an ▁Olympic ▁medal . ▁He ▁won ▁his ▁first ▁silver ▁medal ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁also ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁a ▁Malays ian ▁had ▁reached ▁the ▁final s ▁in ▁the ▁men ' s ▁singles ▁event . ▁This ▁achiev ement ▁earned ▁him ▁the ▁title ▁Dat uk , ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁then ▁ ▁Malays ian ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Naj ib ▁Raz ak ▁describing ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁national ▁hero . ▁He ▁repeated ▁the ▁achiev ement ▁twice ▁more ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁thus ▁making ▁him ▁the ▁most ▁successful ▁Malays ian ▁Olymp ian ▁in ▁history . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 3 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁Lee ▁announced ▁his ▁ret irement ▁after ▁struggling ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁full ▁fit ness ▁following ▁a ▁nose ▁cancer ▁diagn osis . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁Malays ia ' s ▁chef ▁de ▁mission ▁for ▁the ▁ 2 0 2 0 ▁Summer ▁Olympics . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁Lee ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Bag an ▁S era i , ▁Per ak , ▁into ▁a ▁Malays ian ▁Chinese ▁family , ▁to ▁Lee ▁Ah ▁Ch ai ▁and ▁K