Last month, national shuttler Lee Zii Jia (李梓嘉) sparked concern when he suddenly shared several unsettling artworks on his Instagram account. After much speculation, the athlete finally revealed what prompted him to share those artworks.
Over the weekend, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) released an interview with Lee Zii Jia ahead of his comeback at the World Championships in Paris, which starts today (Monday, 26th August 2025). In the interview, the 27-year-old discussed his ankle injury, which left him unable to compete for five months. He also opened up about the challenges he faced because of his injury, including his struggle with depression.
According to Lee Zii Jia, his recovery and rehab have been going smoothly, and he’s been pain-free for a month. He also candidly revealed how he felt about his months-long hiatus, saying, “It’s not normal (to be out for five months). I’ve been in a situation where I wanted to stop playing because of all these injuries, all these things that bothered me. I’ve had ups and downs, but never had to deal with injuries.”
The athlete also admitted that he felt clueless at the time, since it was his first time dealing with such a serious injury. Lee Zii Jia said the situation heavily affected his mental health because he was stressed out about his performance. Unfortunately, the whole situation also caused mild depression, with the shuttler saying, “During those five months, I was not just dealing with my injuries, I was dealing with stress, and of course, I did have a little bit of depression.”
Lee Zii Jia also opened up about how he coped with the struggles, adding that he found solace through art and travel. He admitted that his concerning Instagram post did reflect his state of mind at the time, saying, “I was sort of obsessed with art. I’m starting to do research on some art. I figured out that looking at art is something that can express our feelings, not just the good side, sometimes the dark side as well. So that’s why I shared those images.”
Thankfully, Lee Zii Jia is now in a better place, physically and mentally, and he’s ready to show the world the result of his recovery. We Malaysians are cheering for the athlete and wishing him the best in his upcoming championship.
Source: BWF
