Just last month, popular independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉) got into a spat with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) over a training rule. Lee Zii Jia’s fuss over said rule was apparently substantial enough that legendary national badminton player Lee Chong Wei decided to weigh in.
Well, Lee Zii Jia refused to relent on the matter and surprisingly, it has since worked out. Recently, it was revealed that BAM has acquiesced to Lee Zii Jia’s concerns regarding the rule and has worked out a solution for him to continue attending training with the national team.
Lee Zii Jia and his new coach Wong Tat Meng had initially been concerned over potential sponsorship conflicts after BAM established their new rule pertaining to the players’ apparel during training. According to BAM’s director of administration Michelle Chai, moving forward, all players will be provided with neutral training attires by BAM.
“All the players will be attending the centralised training and Zii Jia has requested to attend a few days later,” Michelle reportedly stated. “They will also be provided with training attires without brands or logos which will avoid any sponsorship issues.” The players will be focusing their efforts on the upcoming Asian Games which will be held in Hangzhou, China.
Rexy Mainaky, national doubles director of coaching, claims Zii Jia’s presence is essential for the team event, highlighting his mental fortitude. “His performance has been good in team events before and we know that he is trying to get his rhythm back under Wong Tat Meng in the BWF tour events. I hope he can do well at the Hong Kong and also the Asian Games,” he said.
Rexy Mainaky has clarified however that they have yet to discuss the line-up for the Hangzhou tournament. Still, he believes they “need a player of Zii Jia’s experience for the Asian Games team event”. We’re glad that BAM has managed to compromise with Lee Zii Jia on the issue and wish the team well for the upcoming competition.
Sources: Sin Chew Daily, The Star
