PETALING JAYA: Three-time Olympic silver medallist Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei knows how tough it is to regain form after an injury.
That is why Chong Wei is still open to giving professional singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia (pic) a chance to prove himself in the Thomas Cup Finals, despite the shuttler’s disappointing outings in his last two tournaments in Europe.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) have invited Zii Jia to join their centralised training ahead of the Finals from April 24-May 3 in Horsens, Denmark.
Zii Jia did not qualify for the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, from April 7-12, and will have a longer time to prepare.
Chong Wei, who is BAM’s performance committee chairman, believes Zii Jia should be given the space and time to rediscover his form.
“Yes, I can still see that he is still trying to find his rhythm,” said Chong Wei.
“I know how hard it is for injured players to regain confidence. We have opened the door for him and it is still up to him now.”
Chong Wei himself suffered an ankle injury during the 2012 Thomas Cup Finals in Wuhan, China, but recovered within three months to compete in the London Olympics, where he went on to win a silver medal after losing to Lin Dan of China.
He added that Zii Jia would communicate with national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen regarding his plans.
“Zii Jia has not started training with the national team yet. He will get in touch with Kenneth after returning from France and will spar with our singles players, including Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh,” said Chong Wei.
“Of course, we want the team to be well prepared. Let him join us when he is ready.”
The 27-year-old Zii Jia, who suffered an ankle injury and retired during his quarter-final match against Indonesia’s Alwi Farhan at the Thailand Masters in January, has continued to struggle to regain his footing despite recovering from the injury.
He had to go through the qualifying rounds at both the Swiss Open and Orleans Masters.
He made the main draw in Switzerland but lost in the first round to Singapore’s Jason Teh, while in France, he failed to progress past the qualifiers.
Chong Wei also took the initiative to consult National Sports Institute chief executive officer Dr P. Vellapandian to ensure Zii Jia receives the best possible support.
“We are ready to offer help, but Zii Jia said he is getting treatment elsewhere and is comfortable with that. We will respect his decision,” he added.
Despite the world No. 86 Zii Jia’s form, he is still seen as the best third singles player as the level of others are still far behind.
