PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia remains upbeat and is eyeing a return to competition in January next year after an injury-plagued 2025.
Zii Jia, who has pulled out of the Syed Modi India International next week, broke his silence on his injury issues this year via a heartfelt social media post.
"Hi all. Zii Jia here. It’s been a while since I’ve written myself. As you all know, 2025 has been somewhat of a challenging year and also a learning curve when it comes to managing my physical health," he wrote.
"There are days when I feel on top of the world and there are days when I feel the effects of coming back from that ankle injury and the nagging back pain.
"Since my last competitive match at the China Masters in September, My Team and I have been working closely with medical experts on how to best move forward in ensuring that I am able to compete to the best of my abilities.
"After taking into account all the feedback and most importantly listening to my body, I feel it’s best to close the chapter on 2025 and focus on the upcoming 2026 calendar.
"To say that it has been a rollercoaster of a year physically and emotionally would be an understatement, but there has also been a lot of discovery about myself, who knew that art is something that I am fond of.
"My thanks go out to a lot of people, my family, friends, my team, my sponsors, who are in my corner since day one and of course the fans who I look forward to seeing again soon.
"I remain motivated and spirited to return to the court. January is just around corner. Sincerely, Zii Jia," he wrote.
The post gives hope that the 27-year-old, who is currently ranked No. 63 in the world, could make his comeback at the Malaysian Open from Jan 6-11 at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil.
