KUALA LUMPUR – Given his current condition and the growing speculation, will Lee Zii Jia skip the World Championships in Paris next month?
While the status of his participation in the world meet remains uncertain, Scoop has learnt that the independent men’s singles shuttler is likely to withdraw from the Super 1000 China Open, set to run from July 22-27.
The closing date for withdrawal from the China Open is July 15.
Zii Jia, who was granted a protected ranking by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in March, has already pulled out of the Super 750 Japan Open scheduled for next week.
Although no official reason has been given for his withdrawal, it is believed that the 27-year-old Olympic bronze medallist has yet to fully recover from the ankle injury he sustained during the World Tour Finals in December 2024.
“Anything can happen at the World Championships, so it’s hard to say if he’ll skip it. You only need to peak once – like Singapore’s Loh Kean Yew – and you can be world champion,” said an individual familiar with the player.
“However, I’m not so sure about the China Open. It looks like he’s already 70 to 80 per cent certain to pull out.”
While Zii Jia may be physically fit to return to competition, many believe the former All England champion is still not fully ready – mentally or emotionally.
He recently raised concerns among fans and the international badminton community after posting a series of dark and cryptic drawings on social media.
The matter has since drawn the attention of the National Sports Institute (NSI) and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), who have both offered their support should Zii Jia require assistance.
So far this season, Zii Jia has only competed in two tournaments – the Orleans Masters and the All England. – July 11, 2025