Last month, national shuttler Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉) declined the offer to join the Road to Gold (RTG) programme in preparation for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games (LA2028). According to his team, the athlete is still recovering from injuries sustained during the World Tour Finals in December and believes that his peers are more deserving of the opportunity at this time.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh confirmed the news, but assured that the door remains open should the badminton player reconsider. It’s been a few weeks since the news broke, and fans have been wondering how he’s been coping. Many expressed concern after the young star posted a series of troubling images on his Instagram, which appeared to hint at his current mental health struggles. Here’s what happened:
Yesterday (Thursday, 3rd July), Lee Zii Jia shared a carousel of images on his Instagram, featuring drawings that appeared to depict struggles with mental health, particularly depression. The unsettling post was shared without a caption, and the athlete also changed his profile photo to black, further fuelling concern among fans.
Naturally, many took to the comments section to express their support, offering words of comfort to the 27-year-old. Some, fearing the worst, urged the young star not to act rashly and reminded him that things can and will get better. Several fellow athletes also showed their support, including Lai Pei Jing, Yap Roy King, and Goh Jin Wei, who reminded Zii Jia that he doesn’t have to face his hardships alone.
Fans also urged Zii Jia’s celebrity friends to check in on him personally, simply to ensure he is safe and well. After browsing through some of their social media pages, it was found that Lai Pei Jing recently posted about spending time with the Kedah-born badminton player and their friends at what appears to be a Disney-themed garden in Singapore. However, it remains unclear when the gathering actually took place.
At the time of writing, neither Lee Zii Jia nor his team has issued any updates regarding his current condition. We sincerely hope that his friends and family are by his side during this difficult time and that he receives the support he needs to recover and regain his strength.
