Latest news with #ZiiJia
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Lee biding his time
Being fair: Lee Zii Jia serving as umpire during an exhibition match in China. — Victor PETALING JAYA: Is men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia truly getting better, or has he actually been fine all along? Will he return to competition at the World Championships in Paris next month, after skipping all tournaments since March due to an ankle injury? Concerns remain over his fitness, especially with questions mounting over why his ankle injury has yet to heal after more than three months, leaving him still unable to return to competition. Zii Jia had skipped last week's Japan Open in Tokyo and this week's China Open in Changzhou due to the injury. Ankle injuries typically take between two and eight weeks to heal. However, according to sports medicine specialist Dr Hazwan Khair, Zii Jia's ankle issue appears to be far more complex. It is not surprising that he needs a longer recovery period before making a full return to competition. 'Getting back to his best form is a subjective matter. While two to eight weeks is the usual recovery time for common ankle injuries based on most case studies, it really depends on the nature of the injury,' said Dr Hazwan, who treated Selangor footballer Faisal Halim back to his feet. 'If it involves the cartilage, ligaments, or bone marrow swelling, also known as bone oedema, then it will definitely take longer to heal. The player himself may be frustrated, and fans are understandably questioning the delay in his return. But sometimes, we need to understand that the tissue capacity has to be gradually rebuilt before a full comeback is possible,' said Hazwan. Zii Jia's injury is a recurring one, which he first sustained during the BWF World Tour Finals in Hangzhou last December. He attempted a comeback in March after missing several tournaments earlier, but only managed to compete in the Orleans Masters and the All-England before announcing that he would shift his focus back to the recovery process. 'When someone has suffered an ankle injury, the risk of recurrence is always higher compared to an ankle that has never been injured,' said Dr Hazwan. 'In Zii Jia's case, we have to be prepared for the possibility of it happening again. 'The key to managing this is to minimise the risk and optimise his movements. 'From a coach's perspective, it is important to monitor every aspect of his condition, including training load, recovery, ice baths, post-training and post-tournament massage, and rest. Everything needs to be taken into account,' he added. While his injury recovery is a concern, Zii Jia however, showed that his posting of cryptic messages depicting sketches of a series of disturbing images on his account, was probably an artistic interest. After nearly two weeks of speculation among badminton fans around the world about the former Asian champion's mental health condition, Zii Jia made a surprise public appearance at the Victor brand conference and new product launch in China on Sunday. Zii Jia was one of the featured faces of the badminton brand, modelling the new collection for the 2026 season on a runway. Other notable appearances at the event included 2024 Paris Olympic gold medallists Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, who have both retired, as well as former men's doubles player Li Junhui, who was reunited with his old partner Liu Yuchen. Also present was Indonesia's men's singles player Jonatan Christie. Following the event, he didn't just attend a fan meet-and-greet session but also took part in a friendly exhibition match, where he even served as the umpire.
Malaysian Reserve
4 days ago
- Sport
- Malaysian Reserve
Zii Jia no-show for China Open
KUALA LUMPUR — National professional singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia (picture) has pulled out from the 2025 China Open Badminton Championships. This was posted on the Badminton World Federation (BWF) website, which stated that the 27-year-old will not be competing in the July 22-27 championships to be held at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre Xincheng Gymnasium in Changzhou. However, there has been no official statement from Team LZJ regarding his pullout from the Super 1000 tournament. This is the second tournament in the past week that Zii Jia has withdrawn from, having also pulled out from competing in the ongoing Japan Open. Zii Jia injured his ankle during the World Tour Finals last December and made his return in March at the Orleans Masters, where he lost to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen 21-23, 7-21 in the quarter-finals. He then competed in the 2025 All England Championships in Birmingham from March 11-16, where he was knocked out in the first round by Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long, who won 21-19, 16-21, 12-21. The world number eight subsequently withdrew from the 2025 Swiss Open in Basel, Switzerland, held from March 18-23, due to the same ankle injury. — BERNAMA
The Star
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Zii Jia appears fine in first public appearance in China
New role: Zii Jia turns up as an umpire during a fun exhibition match as he makes a surprise public appearance at the Victor brand conference and new product launch in China on Sunday. - Pix by Victor PETALING JAYA: Is men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia truly getting better, or has he actually been fine all along? After nearly two weeks of speculation among badminton fans around the world about the former Asian champion's condition, Zii Jia made a surprise public appearance at the Victor brand conference and new product launch in China on Sunday. Zii Jia was one of the featured faces of the badminton brand, modelling the new collection for the 2026 season on a runway. Other notable appearances at the event included 2024 Paris Olympic gold medallists Zheng Siwei-Huang Yaqiong, who have both retired, as well as former men's doubles player Li Junhui, who was reunited with his old partner Liu Yuchen. Also present was Indonesia's men's singles player Jonatan Christie. Following the event, he didn't just attend a fan meet-and-greet session but also took part in a friendly exhibition match, where he even served as the umpire. However, concerns remain over his fitness. He has been unable to compete in any tournaments for more than three months due to an ankle injury sustained in December last year. Zii Jia, who had skipped the back-to-back Japan and China Opens, has qualified for the World Championships in Paris next month.
The Sun
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Hannah Yeoh supports FAM's withdrawal from CAFA Cup 2025
PETALING JAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has expressed her support for the Football Association of Malaysia's (FAM) decision to withdraw from the 2025 Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup. The tournament, originally scheduled for August 29 to September 8, falls outside the FIFA international window, complicating player availability. Yeoh stated that the withdrawal was a well-considered move by the national team's coaches and management. 'When it comes to Malaysia's participation in any tournament, what matters most is whether the athletes and coaches are prepared. I have read the coach's (Peter Cklamovski) statement and I believe he knows best about the team's preparations,' she said after officiating the 2025 Asia Pickleball Summit. FAM had earlier explained that the revised tournament dates posed logistical challenges, as clubs are not required to release players outside the FIFA window. Harimau Malaya head coach Cklamovski affirmed the decision, stating that the team will now focus on training for upcoming matches against Laos and Nepal in October and November. However, CAFA countered that Malaysia's participation had been confirmed earlier with full knowledge of the unchanged schedule. Malaysia was set to compete in Group B alongside Tajikistan, Iran, and Afghanistan. In a separate matter, Yeoh addressed concerns over national shuttler Lee Zii Jia's recent social media activity. She clarified that while Zii Jia's team reached out to the National Sports Council (MSN) to dismiss worries about his well-being, he has not sought additional support from her ministry or the National Sports Institute (ISN). 'I want to give him space, and if he needs any assistance, he knows he has my number,' she said. Zii Jia withdrew from the Japan Open and China Open without an official statement, sparking speculation about his condition. - Bernama
The Sun
15-07-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Lee Zii Jia withdraws from China Open 2025 due to injury
NATIONAL badminton star Lee Zii Jia has officially withdrawn from the 2025 China Open Badminton Championships. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) confirmed his absence on their website, noting that the tournament will proceed without the world number eight from July 22 to 27 at the Changzhou Olympic Sports Centre Xincheng Gymnasium. No official explanation has been provided by Team LZJ regarding his withdrawal from the Super 1000 event. This marks the second tournament Zii Jia has skipped in recent weeks, following his absence from the Japan Open. The 27-year-old has been struggling with an ankle injury sustained during the World Tour Finals in December last year. His return to competition at the Orleans Masters in March ended in a quarter-final defeat to Ireland's Nhat Nguyen. Subsequent appearances at the All England Championships and Swiss Open were also hampered by the same injury, leading to early exits and further withdrawals. Fans remain concerned about his recovery timeline as major tournaments approach. – Bernama
