KUALA LUMPUR – Can national badminton ace Lee Zii Jia cope and do better without a coach?
Zii Jia parted ways with Indra Wijaya recently after the world number 2 had failed to earn a spot at the year-end BWF World Badminton Tour this month, which saw no participation from Malaysia in the men’s singles category.
Zii Jia’s absence in the season finale was disappointing, as Malaysian badminton fans were hoping that the Kedah-born lad would have ended the year on a high note.
However, moving forward, questions have been breezing around the badminton fraternity over what lies ahead for Zii Jia, who is currently the best singles player Malaysia has.
Has he made the right decision to move forward without a coach?
Speaking to The Vibes, former badminton player Datuk James Selvaraj does not agree with Zii Jia’s decision to go solo as he believes that it would further disrupt the player’s progression.
He said that a coach is important for a player and that without one, a player would be a nobody.
“Every player needs a coach…even the great Datuk Lee Chong Wei had a coach. A coach is important for the progression of the player.
“A coach is there to analyse the strength and weaknesses of the player and guide him accordingly to be successful. Without a coach, a player will be nothing,” he said when contacted.
James added that he is looking forward to watching Zii Jia compete in intense situations without a coach.
“How is he going to perform?
“I hope he knows what he is doing, because he is a good player, and a top player as he is capable of beating some of the best players in the world,” said James.
At the same time, it is understood that Zii Jia has accepted the offer from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to train at the Malaysian Badminton Academy (ABM) and to utilise its facilities.
Recently, BAM announced that independent shuttlers are allowed to attend weekly match-play sessions at the academy in Bukit Kiara here.
The association believes that joint sessions between the senior squad and pro shuttlers can provide mutual benefits to the proactive engines of the national team.
At the moment, Zii Jia trains at the ABM every Wednesday but will be heading to Taiwan on Monday with his sponsor Viktor, where he will be training with the local players there.
The Malaysian blue-eyed boy will be training in Taiwan from December 19 to December 25 as he is expected to open the year with a bang when he participates in the Malaysian Open next month. – The Vibes, December 16, 2022
