PUTRAJAYA – Appointing former national coach Wong Tat Meng as Lee Zii Jia’s new coach is a step in the right direction for the Malaysian badminton ace, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Tat Meng is expected to start coaching the 10th-ranked men’s singles shuttler in July as his one-year contract with Hong Kong will end next month.
Zii Jia announced Tat Meng’s appointment on May 23 after moving solo for seven months and subsequent stuttering performances.
“We are happy that Zii Jia has moved forward and decided to appoint Tat Meng as his new coach.
“We hope Zii Jia will continue to improve as we know he wants to win the (Olympics) gold medal and we are happy that he is taking steps to improve himself,” she said when met after a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office here, today.
Hannah assured that the appointment of Tat Meng was entirely done by Zii Jia and the Road to Gold (RTG) committee only provided additional support.
When asked about the performance of doubles pairs Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah at the just-concluded Malaysia Masters, Hannah said the government will continue to provide any form of support for the athletes.
“I was there at Axiata Arena (for the Malaysia Masters finals). They showed an impressive fighting spirit.
“We will continue to give them the support and help that they need. The level of support for mental health is also important for our athletes so that they can close the game,” she said.
Despite not winning the title, men’s doubles pair Wei Chong-Kai Wun showcased an impressive performance at their first Super 500 tournament final against South Korea’s Kang Min-hyuk-Seo Seung-jae.
Malaysia’s top women’s doubles pair Pearly-Thinaah also came close to clinching their final but lost to South Korean pair Baek Ha-na-Lee So-hee.
As the Olympics qualifying round has started this month, Hannah added that the RTG committee will monitor the performance of each athlete to ensure they get enough support. – The Vibes, May 30, 2023
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