Top national shuttler Lee Zii Jia resigns from BAM
National badminton player Lee Zii Jia has tendered his resignation from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) on Jan 11.
BAM president Norza Zakaria confirmed the resignation...
National badminton player Lee Zii Jia has tendered his resignation from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) on Jan 11.
BAM president Norza Zakaria confirmed the resignation, saying Zii Jia “couldn’t take the pressure and wants to achieve his dreams at his own pace.
“We tried to persuade him and tried to negotiate but his team and family were adamant,” Norza was quoted as saying by Free Malaysia Today.
The Star also reported that Norza said they held meetings with Zii Jia several times since he handed in his resignation but were unsuccessful in persuading him to stay.
“We want to take him to greater heights and be as successful as Lee Chong Wei.
“However, he told us that he’s no Lee Chong Wei and he cannot cope with the pressure,” Norza said.
BAM has not revealed whether they accepted Zii Jia’s resignation.
He added that BAM deputy president Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos will be looking into this matter and will be calling for a press conference at 4pm on Friday.
Meanwhile, Zii Jia said it does not matter whether he is an independent badminton player or a national one, as his focus as a player is on training, performing well, and producing good results for Malaysia.
“I think it does not matter whether independent player or national player, I think we are all carrying the flag of Malaysia. We are going for the same tournaments,” he said in an Astro Arena segment called ‘Nadi Arena’ tonight.
Zii Jia said both himself and the BAM want the best decision for him.
“I also want the best for my career and, for this year, I want to stabilise my performance and get into the top five (in the world). That is my main target,” he said.
Zii Jia, who is the top national shuttler, is currently ranked seventh in the world by the Badminton World Federation.
The 23-year-old Kedahan won the All England Open men’s singles in March 2021 after a nail-biting showdown with Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen.
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