Leave me alone: Lee Zii Jia is now focused on doing well at the Asian Mixed Team Championships in Dubai.
PETALING JAYA: I want to go it alone.
Top men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia won’t budge from his decision to stay solo although there have been calls from former internationals that he should consider having a coach to guide him.
Datuk Rashid Sidek and Ong Ewe Hock were among those who were concerned with Zii Jia’s decline and felt the world no. 4 should look for a personal coach to ensure that he continues to keep pace with the top shuttlers.
Men’s singles legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei has also given his moral support for Zii Jia during this difficult period.
Zii Jia has been without a coach after he parted ways with Indra Wijaya in November.
Fellow independent player Liew Daren has been his sparring partner and also sits in the coaches’ chair during matches to guide him.
“So far, I have no intention to go for a coach,”said Zii Jia.
“I respect them as legends and accept the advice that they give me. But at the same time, I also cannot accept all the comments from everyone and I believe it is not right to do so.
“I try to focus on what is in front of me and use whatever that is available for me for preparation. Whatever I need to settle, I will do it.”
Zii Jia had a disappointing start to 2023 when he crashed out in the early rounds of the Malaysian Open, Indian Open and Indonesian Masters.
His main objective now is to focus on the Asian Mixed Team Championships in Dubai (Feb 14-19) where he will lead the team.
Zii Jia will be hoping to use the championship to take his mind off legal matters concerning his former coach Indra and focus on what he badly wants to achieve – produce results on court.
