Paris Olympics: Zii Jia wants to surprise her detractors

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 quit the Badminton Association of Malaysia in early 2022 and withdraw from the 2022 Commonwealth Games to receiving image royalties for joining the national team for the 2024 Thomas Cup in Chengdu, China, Zii Jia has often been the target of criticism, including from local media, Bernama reported today.

After being knocked out in the last 16 by Chinese ace Chen Long on 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 receives praise, it all depends on whether Zii Jia can deliver a standout performance that could captivate millions of Malaysians when he competes at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena, Bernama said in its report.

In a recent meeting with the 26-year-old, Malaysia’s chef de mission for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Datuk Hamidin Mohd Amin, mentioned that Zii Jia was determined to surprise everyone at the competition, scheduled from July 27 to August 5.

Hopes are high for the Kedah-born player to shine in Paris, especially after winning two titles: the 2024 Thailand Open in May and the 2024 Australian Open last month.

The 2022 Badminton Asia Championships winner is undoubtedly motivated, especially after an easy run through the group stage of the world’s biggest sporting event.

Zii Jia tops Group G, which includes world number 72 Viren Nettansinghe of Sri Lanka and world number 63 Pablo Abian of Spain.

Although 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 come in the knockout stages, where he could potentially face Indonesian Anthony Sinisuka Ginting (world number 9) in the round of 16.

The 2019 SEA Games gold medallist is next set to meet close friend and world number four Anders Antonsen of Denmark, followed by Chinese top seed Shi Yu Qi in the semi-finals and defending champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final, Bernama said.

Despite his impressive form heading into Paris 2024, Zii Jia must raise his game and maintain his consistency to overcome key opponents like Yu Qi and Axelsen.

He must also stay focused and avoid simple mistakes that could derail his chances of progressing further at the Olympics.

In her last meeting with Yu Qi in the 2024 Thomas Cup semi-finals, Zii Jia had to fight back before losing 19-21 in the first set and then losing 5-21, which paved the way for China to beat Malaysia 3-1 and advance to the final.

Zii Jia has won just three of his seven matches against Axelsen, with their most recent encounter coming 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.

Besides his on-field experience, Zii Jia has a unique formula in his quest to bring glory to the country at Paris 2024.

Not only is he benefiting from the guidance of Wong Tat Meng, who was instrumental in the development of South Korean women’s singles world number one An Se Young, he is also training 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?