SHAH ALAM – Independent men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia stands poised to rally for his team and country when his coaches summon him at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC), which is scheduled to kick off tomorrow at the Setia City Convention Centre.
Previously, national badminton coaching director Rexy Mainaky stressed that his coaching team has yet to finalise the tournament lineup for the men’s singles players, with Zii Jia likely to be featured in the pivotal final group match against the formidable Chinese Taipei side.
The 25-year-old Zii Jia, currently ranked 10th in the world, expressed confidence in himself and his teammates to give their all in defending the tournament title.
“So far, my physical condition has been good as I don’t have any injuries. I’m fully prepared for this week. I do have some pressure, but I can deal with it.
“The team is almost the same as last time, and all of us want to win the title again in Malaysia. It will be a tough mission for us, but we are ready to give our 100%.
“The grouping for Malaysia is strong, and our main target will be getting a favourable result against Chinese Taipei as they are a strong side despite not bringing senior players like Chou Tien-chen into their team.
“We have two matches (Brunei and Kazakhstan) before we meet Chinese Taipei, but I will always be ready to fight for the team whenever the coach needs me.
“We are very well aware that this is the qualification for the Thomas Cup, and not all countries have sent their best teams here. But still, I think they will give us a tough challenge,” said Zii Jia when met after the test court session at Setia City today.
In 2022, the Malaysian men’s team clinched their maiden team title, while the women’s team secured their place in the Uber Cup Finals on merit after reaching the semifinals.
Apart from Zii Jia, Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) will field its strongest lineup for the BATC 2024 challenge by listing national men’s singles champions Tze Yong, Jun Hao, and Eogene Ewe Eon.
In men’s doubles, Malaysia will be represented by 2022 world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, and Choong Hon Jian-Muhammad Haikal Nazri.
The men’s team, which is the tournament’s fourth seed, will battle in Group B with Brunei (tomorrow), Kazakhstan (February 14), and Chinese Taipei (February 15).
Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
Additionally, the top four teams from the tournament will earn automatic qualification for the Thomas and Uber Cup, scheduled to take place in Chengdu, China, in April. – February 12, 2024