PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Lee Zii Jia has revealed his struggle with depression during the five months he was unable to play due to injury.
The 27-year-old independent player injured his ankle in December 2024 at the World Tour Finals in Hangzhou and has only competed in the Orleans Masters and All-England in March this year.
He is now getting ready to make his comeback in the World Championships in Paris that starts on Monday (Aug 25).
In an interview with the Badminton World Federation (BWF), Zii Jia shared the challenges he faced.
"I was in a situation where I wanted to stop playing.
"I've had ups and downs but it was my first time dealing with such a big injury.
"I was quite shocked and also clueless. I didn't know how to deal with this problem," said Zii Jia.
He had plenty of questions.
“How am I going to perform when I come back? Am I still at the top level, or am I struggling with my own performance? I was concerned, to be honest, and it was quite stressful but I think the important thing is that I’m ready now and I’m here.
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He said that the injury was tough to deal with mentally and he channelled his feelings through art and travel.
This led him to post the cryptic images on social media that went viral.
"During those five months, I was not just dealing with my injuries, I was dealing with stress – and of course, I had a little bit of depression," he said.
Zii Jia also said he travelled to keep his mind active and was also obsessed with art.
"It is something we can use to express our feelings – not just the good side, sometimes the dark as well. That's why I shared those images," he said.
He said he completely shut himself off from news and social media.
"I was just focusing on my own (issues), like my rehab, my mentality.
"I think I learned a lot during this process. It's another new experience," he said.
Zii Jia said he was happy to have overcome his struggles and eager to get back on court.
"The most important thing now is that I want to enjoy the game and of course, to be injury-free," he said.
“I can say definitely I'm not in pain. I can play in training. Of course, while in a tournament it’s a different situation. So that’s why I’m here, it’s like a test for me.
“I’ve been out of normal training for quite a long time, doing only rehab, and when I got back to training, I struggled a lot. I haven’t played a proper match.
"But I did some match play, like five points, 21 points as well. But in sparring…they did not have that level to compete with me. But for myself, I think I’m ready.
"I’m quite confident in training, but like I said, in tournament it would be a different world. So we’ll see how I react in the tournament.”
Zii Jia will open his campaign in Paris against South Korea's Jeon Hyeok-jin.
