SHAH ALAM − The country’s top men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia no longer wants to play second fiddle to world champion Loh Kean Yew when Malaysia take on Singapore in the 2022 Asian Team Badminton Championships (BATC) on Wednesday.
Having lost to Kean Yew twice consecutively over four meetings, Zii Jia wants to use his upcoming match at the Setia City Convention Centre to rise up against the Malaysian-born Singaporean.
After an inconsistent 2021 season, the 23-year-old defending All England champion hopes that a win over Kean Yew will further boost his confidence for a better season after leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) recently.
“Off course, I want revenge (as) he will also fight for victory. So, I think we both don’t want to lose this time. In my previous match (with him), I was injured but to be honest, he played well that day − even if I was not injured, I was not that confident of winning.
“Now, it looks like he has become a more stable and mature player. Winning (against him) is very important to boost my confidence,” the world number seven told reporters after the team’s first official training here today.
For the record, Zii Jia defeated Kean Yew at the 2016 Smiling Fish International Challenge and the 2019 Fuzhou China Open but failed to overcome the 24-year-old shuttler at the 2021 French Open and the 2021 Hylo Open final in Germany, when he was forced to withdraw as a result of injury.
Elaborating further, Zii Jia said the national squad should also not underestimate the challenge from Japan and India even though they are not sending their strongest teams and called on his teammates to fully focus on reaching the top four to secure a place in the Thomas Cup in Bangkok next May.
Asked about the youngest player on the team, Jacky Kok Jing Hong, who will be making his debut in the team tournament, Zii Jia hoped that the 20-year-old would be able to learn something and gain experience at the meet.
“I have known him since childhood, we are from the same hometown and club − the ASRC (Alor Setar Racket Club) − in Alor Setar. I am very happy with his performance lately,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jacky, who emerged champion at the Swedish Open last month, did not want to put pressure on himself by thinking about his opponent’s status. Instead, he is determined to give his best if given the chance to play.
“The responsibility in the senior team is heavier than the junior one. However, I am looking for confidence and learning from seniors so that I can challenge more experienced opponents... I can’t rush, I have to take it step-by-step,” he said.
The other players in the national squad this time are singles shuttlers Ng Tze Yong, Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, Leong Jun Hao and Lim Chong King while Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallists Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik lead Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani and Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun in the doubles.
After meeting Singapore on Wednesday, Malaysia will continue their Group B campaign against Kazakhstan on Thursday and Japan the next day. Only the top two teams in each group will advance to the semi-finals. – Bernama, February 13, 2022
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