KUALA LUMPUR: Former world No. 1 Lee Chong Wei, along with his wife Wong Mew Choo and their two sons, find themselves unexpectedly stuck in Paris due to the recent floods in Dubai.
The family had travelled to Paris for the 100-day countdown to the Paris Olympics and to celebrate their son Kingston's 11th birthday.
Chong Wei, when contacted by Timesport, revealed that their return flight, scheduled for Friday, was disrupted as they were unable to transit through Dubai.
Despite attempting to secure alternative arrangements, most flights were canceled, leaving them stranded.
"I was supposed to fly back on Friday, but due to the floods in Dubai, our flight can't transit there.
"I tried to get another flight out but couldn't because most flights are cancelled anyway.
"The latest I heard is we will fly out on Monday (April 22)," said Chong Wei, who was still in a good mood despite the predicament.
On Friday night, the three-time Olympics silver medallist shared an Instagram story from the Charles de Gaulle airport saying he was stuck in Paris because of the floods in Dubai, and that he is missing 'nasi lemak'.
On Saturday, the Malaysian men's singles great posted another story, this time of his youngest son who did not make the trip, with the message: "Still stuck in Paris, see you soon Anson boy."
Earlier this week, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) recorded its heaviest rainfall in history, which disrupted flights through the world's busiest airfield for international travel.
News agency Associated Press reported that the rains began late Monday, soaking the sands and roadways of Dubai with some 20 millimeters (0.79 inches) of rain. The storms intensified on Tuesday morning and continued throughout the day, dumping more rain and hail onto the city.
By the end of Tuesday, more than 142 millimeters (5.59 inches) of rainfall had soaked Dubai over 24 hours. An average year sees 94.7 millimeters (3.73 inches) of rain at Dubai International Airport.
