The participation of Lee Zii Jia in the upcoming Thomas Cup will depend entirely on his current fitness condition, with no guarantees of selection if he is not fully recovered.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia has made it clear that only players who are at peak condition will be chosen to represent the country at the tournament in Horsens, Denmark.
Chairman of BAM’s Performance Committee, Lee Chong Wei, said Zii Jia’s inclusion remains uncertain due to his ongoing ankle injury, stressing that the association cannot afford to take risks with players who are not fully fit.
“If he has not completely recovered, we cannot take that risk. We need players who are at their best as this is a very important tournament,” he said when met at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia on Friday.
He added that Zii Jia’s condition is being closely monitored by singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen, who remains in contact with the player’s coach, Liew Daren.
The final decision will hinge on the squad submission deadline on April 11, which will determine whether the former All England Open champion can regain full match fitness in time.
Chong Wei noted that Zii Jia has not been training due to the injury, although he is expected to return to the academy soon. However, his current condition remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, he expressed satisfaction with the progress of other players such as Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh, who have shown encouraging performances in training.
Despite hopes for Zii Jia’s swift recovery, Chong Wei reiterated that priority will be given to players who are fully prepared to shoulder the nation’s challenge.
