Sunday August 5, 2012

Social networks abuzz with Olympic ‘DLCW’ mania

PETALING JAYA: Social networks are buzzing ahead of the showdown between Datuk Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan today.

The term Don't Let China Win' and #DLCW, originally meant to be a play on Chong Wei's initials by his fans for the final went viral worldwide on Twitter trends last Friday.

“Remember Datuk Lee Chong Wei. DLCW = Don't let China Win. Go LCW!” tweeted @andytelasai. But the term caught on with some international netizens who used the DLCW abbreviation in tweets to egg on their own countries, perhaps not even knowing about the Malaysian shuttler who inspired the term.

One Californian tweeter @ericdetrin11 posted, “C'mon USA! Don't let China win #DLCW”.

Malaysians took to other social networking sites to express their excitement and hope that Lee will bring home the country's first-ever Olympic gold medal. User “Technically Nazz” even compared Lee to superhero Batman in the movie The Dark Knight Rises, tweeting “Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan is going to be like Batman vs Bane.

“Lee Chong Wei Rises this Sunday! Join the army.”

Felicia Hung said she hoped that defending champion Lin Dan would lose so she could get free ice cream.

“Please kalah (lose) Lin Dan? I want free Baskin Robbins,” she said.

Golden Scoop Sdn Bhd, Baskin-Robbins' Malaysian partner, had announced that Malaysians would get a free scoop of ice cream at all its 61 outlets nationwide under Media Prima Bhd's “Impian Emas Negara” initiative, should Malaysia win a gold medal during the Games.

A businessman even posted on a Facebook fanpage dedicated to Lee, offering to sponsor his “pre-wedding and wedding photography”.

While some fans were confident that Lee would bag the gold, others were just happy that he had made it into the finals.

Szi Yong Chong said Lee did not even need to win as he was already a “hero”, while Geow Linda said:”Gold or Silver, it doesn't matter. Do your very best (and) show the world you are the BEST!”

Another user urged Lee to think of the various rewards he would gain if he won the match.

“Come on Chong Wei, think of the gold bars,” said user Tunku Acet Wa, referring to the 12.5kg gold bar worth RM2mil offered by gold mine owner and KL Racquet Club Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Andrew Kam.

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