PETALING JAYA: The door remains open for Lee Zii Jia to return to the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
That has been the stance of BA of Malaysia high performance committee director Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei all along.
Zii Jia, who left the national body in 2022 to pursue a professional career, returned to represent Malaysia at the Thomas Cup Finals.
The 28-year-old maintained a clean record in the group stage, winning all his matches in Horsens, Denmark.
However, Malaysia’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals after a 0-3 defeat to China on Friday, with Zii Jia, who was slated to play in the third singles, not taking to the court as the tie had already been decided.
Chong Wei said: “We are open to Zii Jia returning to BAM if that is what he wants. I’m open for discussion.
“I’m glad he joined us for training before the Finals and gelled well with the team. Even before the tournament and during the centralised camp, he took the initiative to ask me about areas he needed to improve.
“I’m happy with the commitment he showed to the team.”
Zii Jia and the team are expected to arrive home on May 4.
There is a lack of depth in the singles department, with Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh still working towards greater consistency at the top level.
Another Malaysian player, Ng Tze Yong, has yet to return to the court despite recovering from a back injury.
