KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has once again extended an invitation to Lee Zii Jia to join the government’s elite Road to Gold (RTG) programme, saying the independent shuttler has “nothing to lose” by accepting the offer.
Speaking to the press at the Daikin International Badminton Championships 2025, Hannah revealed that she personally met with Zii Jia and his team, Team LZJ, last week to explain the benefits of joining RTG – a high-performance top-up initiative aimed at preparing the country’s best athletes ahead of 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“We have spoken to them about the benefits of RTG. I hope Zii Jia will say yes, because there is nothing to lose,” she said, adding that the programme provides top-up support for elite athletes, including access to recovery services and sports science professionals.
This is the second time Hannah has approached Zii Jia about the programme. The 2021 All England champion previously turned down an offer to join RTG ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, choosing instead to chart his own course as an independent.
Even without the support of RTG, the Kedah-born men’s singles player went on to win a bronze medal in Paris.
“The road to LA 2028 is still a long way to go. With sports, there is always the potential for injuries. If you are under Road to Gold, you get support for recovery,” she explained.
While stressing that the final decision lies with Zii Jia, Hannah said the ministry has made improvements to the RTG framework following Paris 2024, including clearer performance-based KPIs and more flexibility for independent athletes.
Apart from Zii Jia, the other independent athletes who can benefit from the programme include world No. 1 men’s doubles duo Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani, as well as mixed doubles pair Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai.
Hannah added that the ministry, through RTG coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam, is compiling a final list of athletes for the 2028 cycle, which will be announced by the end of June once athlete consultations are complete.
“It’s not easy because they’re always travelling for tournaments. But we want to gather everyone who has said yes, so that we can have the official signing together,” she said. – June 3, 2025