KUALA LUMPUR – According to sources within the national badminton fraternity, it is rumoured that national shuttler Lee Zii Jia will be joining the resurrected Kuala Lumpur Racket Club (KLRC) for a whopping amount to the tune of seven figures.
“I am not sure about the exact details but it is rumoured that this million-ringgit contract will be for two to three years.
“It is disappointing if this news is true because the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has done everything for Zii Jia.
“If the decision was based on monetary reasons, he should have discussed it with the president of BAM to come up with the best solution,” said the source.
If KLRC is the next destination for Zii Jia, he would be joining former national women’s shuttler Goh Jin Wei, who quit BAM in September last year due to health concerns but has since signed a three-year contract with KLRC earlier this month.
The source also questioned whether BAM could have been the trigger for these players’ departure from the national association.
“If she had quit BAM due to health concerns, how is she back on the court within four months and with a different club?” the source added.
Earlier today, news broke that Zii Jia had turned in his letter of resignation to BAM.
BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said they had received his letter on January 11 in which Zii Jia explained that he could not handle the pressure and wants to pursue his career at his own pace.
Zii Jia had previously brought home the men’s singles gold medal from the 2019 SEA Games and also went on to win the 2021 All England Open Badminton Championship. − The Vibes, January 19, 2022
