KUALA LUMPUR: Men’s singles shuttler, Lee Zii Jia who has since turned professional is set to be a part of the Malaysia team that will defend the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) title when it starts on Feb 13 in Setia Alam, Selangor.
Team LZJ confirmed his participation after the world number 11 faced another first round elimination at the hands of China’s Lu Guang Zu at the ongoing Malaysia Open at the Axiata Arena here, on Tuesday.
According to a statement posted in Team LZJ’s social media platform, the 25-year-old had decided to accept Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) invitation to play for the country in the men’s team event.
“Stepping foot on home ground as a professional athlete is extraordinarily special. Can’t exactly put into words the exact feeling of hearing the home crowd cheer for you throughout the whole match, magical could be one of it.
“The breakthrough that we sorely wanted in this edition of the Malaysia Open did not materialise. Second chances are hard to come by, especially one this swift, the opportunity to not only perform in Malaysia but with team Malaysia is something not to be wasted,” the statement read.
The statement said, Zii Jia and his team always need to make some adjustments to prior programs to facilitate, including forgoing the German Open to participate in the BATC.
Zii Jia was part of the team that bagged Malaysia’s maiden title in the 2022 edition held at the Setia City Convention Centre, while the women’s team reached the semi-finals to secure an Uber Cup slot. –Bernama
