PETALING JAYA: Lee Zii Jia could be the missing piece for the national badminton squad at the Thomas Cup Finals in Horsens, Denmark, but he is set to take on a very different role from his previous four appearances.
Many were excited when Zii Jia was confirmed as part of the 20-man squad heading to the competition from April 24-May 3.
However, unlike in previous editions, he is not expected to shoulder the role of first singles. Instead, he is likely to feature as the third singles, depending on match requirements.
Zii Jia's coach Liew Daren acknowledged that it would be difficult for him to be fielded as the first or second singles based on his current world ranking.
Leong Jun Hao is poised to take on the first singles role as the world No. 23, followed by Justin Hoh, who is ranked No. 40.
Zii Jia, currently No. 83, is not assured of the third singles spot either, as he faces competition from world No. 46 Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, who has also been named in the squad.
With that in mind, Daren stressed that Malaysia’s bid to end their 34-year wait for the Thomas Cup title will depend on contributions across the board rather than relying solely on Zii Jia.
“This is difficult for me to say. It depends on performance. Because I think it’s not just about Zii Jia since he is the third singles. The first two singles are also very important. So I think this is about teamwork,” said Daren.
When Zii Jia made his Thomas Cup debut in the 2018 edition in Bangkok, he featured as the second singles behind Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei.
However, his role shifted in the next edition in Aarhus in 2020, where he stepped up as the first singles following Chong Wei’s retirement in 2019, and he carried that responsibility again in Bangkok in 2022 and Chengdu in 2024.
Although his role will change this time, Daren believes Zii Jia remains just as determined to deliver a point if called upon.
“Based on the ranking, he will be the third singles, so there is no choice. He cannot be the second or first. But whatever it is, we will try our best to get a point for Malaysia if he is fielded,” he said.
Also included in the squad are three men’s doubles pairs - Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani.
Malaysia have been drawn alongside Japan, England and Finland, with the top two teams progressing to the quarter-finals.
