http://www.todayonline.com/Sports/EDC120719-0000027/Derek-Wong--Dad,-this-is-for-you
It belongs to Wong Shoon Keat, his reward for pulling off a famous victory over Indonesia's Hastomo Arbi. Since then, no male Singapore shuttler has repeated that feat.
Yet, this milestone has never quite soothed the fact that he never got to compete at the Olympics, widely considered the sporting pinnacle - something his son Derek will have the opportunity to.
Next Friday, Derek will be part of Singapore's delegation at the London Olympics opening ceremony at the 80,000-capacity Olympic Stadium, with billions more globally tuning in on television and the Internet.
"I am proud of what my father has done in winning the SEA Games gold," Derek told TODAY.
"And my father is also proud of me that I am going to the Olympics, which he never had a chance to do ... In his time, badminton wasn't in the Olympics." Badminton made its debut at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
Derek added: "The Olympics is a very prestigious event and all athletes aspire to get there. I am no different.
"I remember watching and cheering (Singapore's former world No 6) Ronald Susilo at the Beijing Olympics on television four years ago. I told myself I must go to the Olympics one day as a participant."
Light-hearted bragging rights between Shoon Keat's SEA Games medal and Derek being the family's first Olympian has not stopped in the Wong household, although Derek's mother, Irene Wong, a Singapore women's No 1 title holder in the 1970s, stays out of the crossfire.
The men's singles begin on July 28 at the Wembley Arena and Shoon Keat has helped analyse Derek's game on video, while Irene provides emotional support.
"I have always admired my father ... I don't know if I will ever win a SEA Games gold medal. But I know we both share a penchant for perseverance, hard work and a never-say-die spirit," said Derek.
"I am never afraid of hard work on the training courts. Like my father never was."
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