KUALA LUMPUR – Lee Zii Jia’s game has stagnated, and if he fails to rediscover his form soon, he risks fading away from the international stage, warned former Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) high-performance director Datuk James Selvaraj.
His comments came after the independent shuttler’s return to international competition ended prematurely following a first-round defeat to India’s Ayush Shetty at the Malaysia Open on Tuesday.
The former All England champion, whose world ranking has slipped to 144 after a season disrupted by injury, went down 12-21, 17-21 to the world number 22 in just 38 minutes at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
Speaking to Scoop, James said the defeat was a clear reflection of deeper issues in Lee’s game that remain unresolved.
“If you look at him, his game has clearly stagnated,” James said when contacted.
“He is one of our better-built players. He has a big smash, strong physique and all the tools. Considering his past achievements which was winning titles, competing at the All England and winning an Olympic bronze medal — he should be performing much better. Losing in the first round again is very worrying.”
James said Zii Jia’s loss to Shetty, a relatively unknown name at the highest level, raised concerns over his mental state.
“I think he has developed a fear of losing, and that makes him exit early,” he said.
“Something is not right psychologically. He needs someone to sit down with him, motivate him, rebuild his confidence and get him back into the game. Otherwise, he is just going to fade away.”
The former BAM official also pointed out that Zii Jia had rested for nearly two months before the tournament — a period that should have given him an advantage over players competing non-stop.
“He had enough rest compared to others who were fatigued from playing many tournaments,” James said.
“He should have used that time for fitness, sparring and preparation, but he did not deliver. He must make up for this in the next three tournaments — the India Open, Indonesia Masters and Thailand Masters, if he wants to climb back up the rankings.”
James added that a return to the top eight remains possible, but only if Zii Jia rediscovers his winning mentality.
“He has won before, so it’s not impossible,” he said. “But he has to believe in himself, work closely with his coaches and start winning again. That’s the only way.”
James also noted that several other Malaysian shuttlers, including women’s doubles pair Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, failed to live up to expectations at the home tournament.
“Fans expected them to win, especially on home soil,” he said.
“Losing to an unheralded pair is disappointing, but they must bounce back. There are still three more tournaments, and they need to start performing consistently.”
He also condemned the growing tendency for players to issue public apologies following early exits, warning that it should not become the norm.
“Apologising after defeats has almost become routine,” James said.
“Yes, when you make a mistake, you apologise. But fans don’t just want apologies as they want performances. When you play at home, there is a responsibility to deliver.”
James added that frustration among fans was heightened because Pearly-Thinaah had shown encouraging form on the World Tour heading into the Malaysia Open.
“They were getting back to winning ways, and then suddenly to lose like this at home is very disappointing. It’s understandable that fans are upset,” he said.
Second seeds Pearly-Thinaah were knocked out by world number 60 Indonesian pair Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma and Meilysa Trias Puspitasari, suffering their first defeat to the duo in five encounters.
Despite strong support from the home crowd, the Malaysians went down 24-26, 17-21 in 53 minutes.
World number seven men’s doubles pair Goh Sze Fei–Nur Izzuddin Rumsani also disappointed fans after losing 13-21, 17-21 to world number 16 English duo Ben Lane and Sean Vendy in 42 minutes.
National men’s singles player Leong Jun Hao fell to top Indonesian Jonatan Christie in straight games, 21-18, 21-11, in a 55-minute contest.
World number nine mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat–Shevon Jemie Lai crashed out tamely, losing 9-21, 17-21 to American pair Presley Smith and Jennie Gai, who are ranked 22 places lower. — January 9, 2026