Polii Pays Tribute to Late Brother With Title
A personal tragedy sat heavy in Greysia Polii's heart when she came in to the YONEX Thailand Open, but she was able to steel her mind against letting it affect her on court.
· DEV SUKUMAR
The recent death of her elder brother Rickettsia – a father-figure to her ever since their father’s passing away when she was a toddler – meant that Polii was not fighting just a badminton battle on court. That was why, the instant she smacked a kill and won herself and partner Apriyani Rahayu the Thailand Open, she fell on her knees in a gesture of prayer and thankfulness.
“He was like my father. He was 18 years older, he treated me like his daughter and I looked at him as my father. After my dad passed away when I was two years old, he took care of the whole family. He was very supportive of my badminton career,” recalled a tearful Polii.
Her brother’s death happened the day after her wedding on 23 December. It had been a massive blow, and a deeply troubling time for the family, for after his death, some in the family were diagnosed with COVID-19.