PETALING JAYA: There is no way Malaysia will bring an injured player to the Thomas Cup Finals.
That’s the assurance given by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) performance committee chairman Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.
With that stand, independent men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia may miss the Thomas Cup in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24-May 3 if he does not fully recover from his injury.
Zii Jia did not report for training on April 1 as he claimed that he was still troubled by an ankle injury.
Chong Wei stressed that they are still unsure of the actual extent of Zii Jia’s latest setback, despite having extended their support, including offering treatment at the National Sports Institute (NSI).
With the world team event just about three weeks away, Chong Wei is unwilling to take risks by naming an injured player, especially with Malaysia targeting success in this year’s Thomas Cup.
“We still have no update on his condition as he has yet to come to BAM. We do not know how serious his injury is, but I have asked (Kenneth) Jonassen to follow up on Zii Jia’s condition,” said Chong Wei.
“We will not bring injured players to the Thomas Cup, that is my concern, and we will only select players who are fit.
“Jonassen will continue to stay in touch with his coach, Liew Daren, regarding his condition and we will update accordingly.
“Based on what Jonassen informed, Zii Jia only messaged to say that he could not attend the training session on Wednesday (April 1) due to an ankle injury,” said Chong Wei.
He however, is expected to report for duty today, although most of the players would leave to Ningbo, China to compete in the Asian Championships.
“We are still unsure about the extent of Zii Jia’s injury, so it is not confirmed whether he will come or not,” said Chong Wei.
“If he is still injured, I do not think he will come.
However, Chong Wei is not rushing into a decision as BAM still have a few days before the player registration deadline on April 10.
“I hope Zii Jia recovers soon and that his injury is not serious. I believe he is very important for the third men’s singles slot and the whole team need him.
“I also feel this is important for Zii Jia to make his comeback and perform better in individual tournaments,” he added.
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