Shuttler Lee Zii Jia says he must reach 70-80% fitness before representing Malaysia at the Thomas Cup, after a first-round exit in his comeback.
NATIONAL professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia says he will always be ready if called upon for national duty, but has set personal performance benchmarks as his priority.
The men’s singles player said he does not wish to be selected just to make up the numbers without being fully prepared to provide a genuine advantage for Malaysia.
“For me, I will definitely always be ready if they need me,” he told reporters at Axiata Arena.
“But for myself, I think my expectations are slightly different.”
Zii Jia said he needs to be back at least 70 to 80% before feeling confident to represent the country at major events like the Thomas Cup.
“To be honest, if they put me as the third singles, I don’t think it’s an advantage,” he added.
He said several tournaments on the Badminton World Federation calendar will serve as key benchmarks to assess his fitness and readiness.
Zii Jia made his competitive return at the Malaysian Open 2026 after a 111-day layoff, but was eliminated in the first round.
He lost to India’s Ayush Shetty 12-21, 17-21 in 39 minutes.
Following the match, Zii Jia admitted he is still far from his best form, estimating his current performance level at around 50 to 60%.
Currently ranked 144th in the world, he benefits from a protected ranking of world number eight for major tournament entry.
He has been plagued by injury issues since suffering an ankle injury during the BWF World Tour Finals in December 2024.
The injury had not fully healed, forcing him to take another break before the World Championships in Paris last August.
He later withdrew from the China Masters in September due to a back injury before taking a complete rest to focus on recovery.
