KUALA LUMPUR – Things got out of hand in the battle between the BA of Malaysia (BAM) and former national singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia the last one week.
Zii Jia, the All-England champion, quit the national body to go professional and was speculated to join hands with a Taiwanese badminton equipment manufacturer for a five-year contract worth RM8 million.
In return, yesterday BAM decided to ban the player for two years, which did not go down well amongst Malaysians, who slammed the institution on social media over their decision on Zii Jia.
What many are not aware about is that former national badminton player and three-time Olympic silver medallist Datuk Lee Chong Wei stepped in the last minute to calm things down and stop BAM from announcing the ban.
According to an insider in the badminton fraternity, Chong Wei contacted BAM and Zii Jia, 24-hours before the national body’s announcement, in attempt trying to sit both parties down and settle the issue amicably.
However, Chong Wei was unsuccessful because he did not receive any feedback from Zii Jia, while BAM were ready to talk and discuss this matter to avoid drastic actions.
“Chong Wei loves the sport, and he is neutral in this matter but looking at the way this issue was heading, he decided to step in and interfere for the sake of Malaysian badminton.
“He does not have to do it, but he was not able to sit back and see the future of a talented player and the reputation of BAM tarnished, so he decided to act.
“Unfortunately, he failed in his attempt to sort things out because Zii Jia did not respond to his request. You cannot sort things out if one party does not oblige as it takes two to tango,” the insider told The Vibes.
Meanwhile, efforts to contact Chong Wei and Zii Jia have been futile. – The Vibes, January 22, 2022
