KUALA LUMPUR – Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) administration director Michelle Chai has stepped up to address a prevalent misunderstanding regarding the association’s financial arrangement with Lee Zii Jia for his participation in the coming Thomas Cup.
Michelle clarified that BAM would solely provide compensation for sponsorship-related matters to the men’s singles player throughout the duration of the tournament, which will commence on April 28 in Chengdu, China.
Presently, BAM enjoys full sponsorship from conglomerates Petronas and Affin Bank, prominently featured on the national jersey worn by Malaysia players during international tournaments.
However, Zii Jia, who transitioned to professional play in January 2022, has a distinct sponsorship arrangement.
For team championships like the Thomas and Uber Cup, Sudirman Cup, or the SEA and Commonwealth Games, professional players not under the national body’s umbrella are mandated to don the national jersey sponsored by BAM.
“From the onset, Zii Jia has assured me of his willingness to don the national jersey in representing Malaysia,” said Michelle.
“I want to stress that BAM does not directly compensate Zii Jia for his representation of the country; rather, it pertains to sponsorship-related compensations.
“At BAM, our sponsors differ from those of Zii Jia, and he will wear a jersey adorned with our sponsor’s logo.
“I trust this clarification puts any misconceptions to rest.”
Therefore, BAM also denies any violation of clauses within the Badminton World Federation that it has paid players to compete in any match.
Currently, Zii Jia, who just concluded his campaign at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo last week, has opted to train individually with his coach Wong Tat Meng before rejoining his teammates to fly to Chengdu on April 24. – April 17, 2024