The 2024 Olympics may be months off, but for the players, they’re running out of time to train. And that includes, national shuttler Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉) himself. Despite his inconsistent performance, Lee Zii Jia is still considered one of Malaysia’s best bets in the Paris Olympics.
As such, its no surprise that government-supported initiative, Road To Gold (RTG) is pushing for him to join. Yet, the committee recently revealed that Zii Jia has yet to even sign the contract with them and has given him an ultimatum to do so!
In a press conference held yesterday (31st October), RTG coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam announced that Lee Zii Jia was the only player who has yet to sign a contract with the program. They clarified that so far, they have only been able to meet Zii Jia’s team but not Zii Jia himself, in person.
“We have tried various avenues for him to come forward to be present for a meeting,” Datuk Stuart explained. “He has been very busy, as he has communicated to us, and as such, has never been able to be present for a meeting.” However, they added that they will still be engaging with Zii Jia regarding the commitment agreement.
“We hope that now, if he’s back in Malaysia after his competitions, he will allocate some time for the RTG programme and for us to discuss the requirements and needs for him,” he stated. Datuk Stuart made it clear that Zii Jia will have a deadline of two weeks and will need to complete the contract by 13th November.
Notably enough, Lee Zii Jia has been benefiting from the sports services provided to RTG athletes. However, he has not been receiving the funding and allowances that have been stipulated in the agreement, as he has yet to sign it.
Well, we wish Lee Zii Jia and the others all the best as they continue preparing for the Paris Olympics. As for his participation in the Road To Gold initiative, all we can hope for is that he’ll do what is best for him.
Watch the press conference here:
Sources: Facebook, China Press
