KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — As speculated earlier, national number one men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has joined forces with Taiwanese sports equipment company Victor.

Victor and the world number seven Zii Jia confirmed the collaboration on their Instagram pages today but did not reveal the contract details.

"Welcome back to the Victor family, @leeziijia. Victor is proud to announce the second journey with the Malaysian ace.

"We can’t wait to create more memories together in the years to come,” said Victor.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Zii Jia said: "What really impressed me is Victor’s professionalism and dedication. Also, their trust and accompany (sic) makes me feel like home.”

In 2015, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) inked a six-year deal worth RM60 million with Victor, ending a 15-year partnership with renowned Japanese brand Yonex. Incidentally, Zii Jia’s rise to fame began during the time when Victor was BAM’s sponsor.

However, BAM returned to Yonex by signing a RM55 million deal from April 1, 2021 till March 31, 2026.

Victor is also currently sponsoring Taiwan’s world number one women’s singles player Tai Tzu Ying, world number two men’s doubles pair Mohammad Ahsan-Hendra Setiawan of Indonesia and Denmark BA.

Zii Jia, who was in the limelight early this year after quitting BAM to turn independent, had reportedly received a multi-million ringgit offer from a badminton equipment brand.

After helping the national team to clinch the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2022 last weekend, Zii Jia is expected to begin his journey as a professional at the German Open from March 8-13, before defending his All England title from March 16-20. — Bernama