Zii Jia Sets Fitness, Form Benchmarks Before National Duty

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- National professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has stressed that he remains ready to don the national jersey if his services are required, but has placed personal performance standards as his main priority before making any commitment, particularly ahead of major tournaments such as the Thomas Cup and Asian Games this year.

Zii Jia said that although he is aware many view his presence as crucial to the national squad, he does not wish to be selected merely 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. But for myself, I think my expectations are slightly different.

“I need to be back at least 70 to 80 per cent before I feel confident to represent the country at the Thomas Cup because, to be honest, if they put me as the third singles, I don’t think it’s an advantage,” he told reporters when met at the Axiata Arena here yesterday.

Zii Jia said several tournaments on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) calendar will serve as key benchmarks to assess his fitness level and overall readiness before considering any involvement with the national team.

The 28-year-old’s return to competitive action in the Malaysian Open 2026 yesterday, after a 111-day layoff, ended in disappointment when he was eliminated by India’s Ayush Shetty 12-21, 17-21 in 39 minutes.

Following the match, Zii Jia admitted that he is still far from his best form, estimating his current performance level at around 50 to 60 per cent.

Currently ranked 144th in the world, Zii Jia still benefits from a protected ranking of world number eight, allowing him entry into major tournaments for a certain period.

He has been plagued by injury issues since suffering an ankle injury during the BWF World Tour Finals in December 2024, before returning to action at the Orleans Masters and All England in March last year.

The injury had not fully healed, forcing him to take another break before competing at the World Championships in Paris in August.

He later featured at the Hong Kong Open but withdrew in the first round of the China Masters in September due to a back injury, before deciding to take a complete rest to focus on recovery.

-- BERNAMA