PETALING JAYA: Blessings come in many forms, and for men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia, he considers himself lucky for not going through a surgery after facing a series of injuries last year.
The shuttler, who is currently preparing for the Malaysian Open which gets underway on Tuesday, revealed that a specialist doctor had previously recommended surgery for his back injury.
However, Zii Jia was adamant against going under the knife, fearing not only that it would take much longer to recover, but also that a worst-case scenario could prevent him from ever returning to the court.
“Luckily, I didn’t have to undergo surgery, although there was a doctor who suggested it. If it had been surgery, I don’t think you would be seeing me here again because it would have taken a much longer time to recover. Even then, there are no guarantees as we do not know the consequences of surgery.
“Yes, there was a doctor who recommended surgery, but to be honest, it was never part of my plan. That’s why I tried to find other options and went down that route.”
The back injury came after Zii Jia competed in the Hong Kong Open and China Masters in September last year.
Adding to his struggles, a few months earlier, he suffered a serious injury to his right ankle. Overall, the Los Angeles Olympic bronze medallist managed to compete in only five tournaments, exiting in the first round in all of them.
Zii Jia admitted that his decision to forego surgery and focus on rehabilitation was not an easy one, as he faced numerous challenges during that period.
“I mean, for the last year, I mostly did a lot of rehab. So, whether I like it or not, this is something that I have to go through. This is a process that I have to go through,” he added.
Zii Jia appeared to be in top form during a court session at the Axiata Arena in Bukit Jalil on Sunday, accompanied by his coaches Yeoh Kay Bin and Liew Daren.
He will be facing rising Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty in the first round.
