Zii Jia targets gold for Paris Olympics

Men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is aiming to win gold in the Paris Olympics in July.

PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has set his sights on capturing the elusive gold in the Paris Olympics in July.

World No. 10 Zii Jia is getting ready to compete in his second Olympics after making his debut in Tokyo in 2021 and will be Malaysia’s sole representative in the men’s singles.

“To be honest, I did not celebrate after qualifying for the Olympics as my main target is to win the Olympics and not just make the cut,” said Zii Jia in an audio recording released by Team LZJ in social media.

“I know I have the potential to win but I’m still struggling with my performances.

“In this process, I found out that qualifying for the Olympics is not easy.

“Ng (Tze Yong) was so close to making the cut but it was all over for him after he was struck down by injury.

“Honestly, I really feel sympathetic towards him. So, I told myself not to put too much pressure and negativity on myself,” added Zii Jia.

The 26-year-old was pleased to become the first men’s singles player in the country to qualify for his second Olympics after Datuk Lee Chong Wei.

“I could qualify twice for the Olympics. I’m the first singles player in Malaysia after Datuk Lee Chong Wei to be able to play more than once,” said Zii Jia.

“I told myself this is a huge achievement although I have not yet won any medals.

“At least, this is something positive and it gives me confidence.

“We don’t know if I can compete in the next Olympics.

“This is the biggest tournament for all athletes, hopefully I will be free of injuries to compete in Paris.”