KUALA LUMPUR – National shuttler Lee Zii Jia thrashed world champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore 21-6, 21-14 to give Malaysia a head start in the men’s Asia Team Championships campaign at the Setia City Convention Centre here today.
Zii Jia showed no mercy as he dismantled Malaysian-born Kean Yew within 11 minutes in the first set and continued his dominance in the second set, winning 21-14.
Speaking to the media after the match, the world number seven said he made the right call by leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) as the move had enabled him to be more relaxed than he had been in previous tournaments.
“I’m really happy that I secured a win for Malaysia in the first men’s game seeing that I was able to stabilise my performance,” said the 23-year-old Kedahan.
“I’ve been through a lot previously but leaving BAM has helped me to explore more opportunities and I get to alleviate the pressure that comes from being in BAM.”
Despite the defeat, Kean Yew said competing in the tournament after being quarantined was a unique experience for him.
“I was looking forward to seeing how I would perform but with the loss, I will continue to improve my form and overcome any mistakes made in the court,” he said.
“Since this is a team event, I hope my team will be able to perform better than me,” he said.
Meanwhile, men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik crushed Singapore’s Danny Bawa Chrisnanta-Wesley Koh 21-14, 21-12 within 25 minutes − boosting their confidence in preparation for the next championship.
“I wouldn’t say the match (against Singapore) was easy, it was a clever difference playing against them,” said Wooi Yik.
On the other hand, Aaron said: “We think of this as our preparation for the England and German Open. We won’t take this win for granted but will keep on doing our best.” – The Vibes, February 16, 2022
