Malaysia men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia in action against Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long during the semi-final match of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Saturday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star
PETALING JAYA: The National Sports Institute's (NSI) doors are always open for men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
Zii Jia made the call to end his season early due to his pesky ankle injury and nagging back pain, prioritising his recovery for next year, and Hannah said the NSI are always ready to help him if needed.
"For the NSI, we are ready to help Zii Jia if he needs anything," said Hannah yesterday.
"Zii Jia can contact P. Vellapandian from the NSI, and anytime, we will help Zii Jia."
The 27-year-old shuttler had pulled out of the Syed Modi India International starting next Tuesday, which effectively ended his season.
Zii Jia had opened up about his injury problems on social media, adding that he hopes to make a full recovery in time for the Malaysian Open in January.
Hannah said it will be important for Zii Jia to focus on his recovery in the coming weeks and take advantage of the downtime away from the court.
"I pray that Zii Jia will recover during this break time. It’s very important to come back refreshed for next year.
"We know that the badminton schedule can be very packed, and if there is an injury and they don’t recover properly, eventually they will burn out.
"That’s why we want to make sure Zii Jia uses this time to find some peace and come back next year with a renewed sense of purpose for his tournaments," she said.
In his post, Zii Jia said that since his last competitive match at the China Masters in September, feedback from medical experts led him to close the chapter on 2025 and shift his focus to 2026.
He added that it had been a roller coaster of a year, both physically and emotionally, but those times also led him to find a passion for art.
