KUALA LUMPUR, July 14 — Professional men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia has been no stranger to controversy since winning the 2021 All England title in Birmingham, England.
From his decision to leave the Badminton Association of Malaysia in early 2022 and withdrawing from the 2022 Commonwealth Games to receiving image rights fees for joining the national team for the 2024 Thomas Cup in Chengdu, China, Zii Jia has often been a target of criticism, including from local media, reported Bernama today.
After being eliminated in the round of 16 by Chinese ace Chen Long in his debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, all eyes are once again on the world number seven as he prepares for the 2024 edition in Paris.
Whether he continues to face criticism or earns praise, it all hinges on Zii Jia’s ability to deliver a stellar performance that could captivate millions of Malaysians when he competes at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, said Bernama in its report.
In a recent meeting with the 26-year-old player, Malaysia’s Chef de Mission for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, mentioned that Zii Jia is determined to surprise everyone in the competition, scheduled from July 27 to August 5.
Hopes are high for the Kedah-born player to shine in Paris, especially after securing two titles —the 2024 Thailand Open in May and the 2024 Australian Open last month.
The 2022 Badminton Asia Championships winner is undoubtedly motivated, particularly after an easy path through the group stage of the world’s biggest sporting event.
Zii Jia leads Group G, which includes world number 72 Viren Nettansinghe from Sri Lanka and world number 63 Pablo Abian from Spain.
While Zii Jia has never faced Nettansinghe, he should not underestimate Abian, who once pushed him to a rubber set before Zii Jia prevailed 21-11, 21-23, 24-22 in the first round of the 2021 Hylo Open in Germany.
If he tops the group, Zii Jia’s real test will begin in the knockout stage, where he could potentially face Indonesia’s Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (world number nine) in the round of 16.
The 2019 SEA Games gold medallist is then expected to meet his close friend and world number four, Anders Antonsen from Denmark, followed by China’s top seed Shi Yu Qi in the semi-finals, and reigning champion Viktor Axelsen from Denmark in the final, said Bernama.
Despite his impressive form heading into Paris 2024, Zii Jia must elevate his game and maintain consistency to overcome top challengers like Yu Qi and Axelsen.
He must also stay focused and avoid simple mistakes that could derail his chances of advancing further in the Olympics.
His last encounter with Yu Qi in the 2024 Thomas Cup semi-finals saw Zii Jia putting up a fight before losing 19-21 in the opening set and subsequently falling 5-21, which paved the way for China to defeat Malaysia 3-1 and advance to the final.
Zii Jia has won only three of his seven matches against Axelsen, with their most recent clash in the final of the 2024 Malaysia Masters in May, where the Danish star emerged victorious 21-6, 20-22, 21-13, according to Bernama.
Apart from his on-court experience, Zii Jia has a unique formula in his quest to bring glory to the country at Paris 2024.
He not only benefits from the guidance of Wong Tat Meng, who was instrumental in developing South Korea’s world number one women’s singles player An Se Young, but also trains with two world champions — Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew (2021) and Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn (2023) — as well as Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in his final training phase in Singapore.
With all the efforts and strategies planned by Zii Jia and his team, is this the right time for him to silence the critics by bringing home a gold medal for Malaysia at the 2024 Olympics?
