Latest news with #ZiiJia
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Zii Jia accepts Paris World Championships invite after injury-hit season
KUALA LUMPUR: Shuttler Lee Zii Jia is set to make his long-awaited return at the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25-31 after four months out with injury. The former world No. 2 has confirmed his participation in the tournament, according to the Badminton World Federation's latest update on July 29. He received an invitation under a protected ranking status secured by his management, Team LZJ. However, he still has until Aug 12 to pull out should he decide otherwise. Zii Jia has been battling a left ankle ligament injury since December and has only played in two tournaments this year - the Orleans Masters and All-England in March, before the problem flared up again. He was initially slated to return at the US Open in June but was forced to withdraw as he had yet to fully recover. The same issue also saw him miss the China Open and Japan Open earlier this month. The 2021 All-England champion recently sparked concern after posting a series of cryptic sketches on social media, prompting fans to speculate about his mental health. While some interpreted it as artistic expression, others feared it reflected his frustration and emotional toll from the prolonged layoff. If he goes ahead with the Paris appearance, he will be joined by compatriot and world No. 24 Leong Jun Hao, who is making his World Championships debut. Zii Jia, now ranked world No. 35, will be hoping for another memorable outing in the French capital, having won a bronze medal there at last year's Olympic Games. Malaysia will also have two representatives in the women's singles - Goh Jin Wei and K. Letshanaa. The draw for the tournament will be held on Aug 13.
The Star
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Zii Jia accepts world meet invite, eyes comeback in Paris
Lee Zii Jia. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Professional men's singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is set to make an appearance at the World Championships in Paris from Aug 25-31 after a four-month absence. Based on an update from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on July 29, Zii Jia has confirmed his participation in the tournament after receiving an invitation from the world body. However, should the former world No. 2 change his mind, he still has time until Aug 12 to do so. Zii Jia had been struggling with a left ankle ligament injury since December last year, and has only competed in two tournaments this year, the Orleans Masters and All-England in March before the injury flared up again. His management, Team LZJ, had successfully secured a protected ranking for Zii Jia, and he initially planned to return at the US Open in June, but had to withdraw as he had yet to fully recover. For the same reason, Zii Jia also missed the China Open and Japan Open, which ended just a few weeks ago. The former All-England champion recently sparked concern after posting a series of unsettling sketches on his social media, prompting fans to question his mental well-being. While some viewed it as a form of artistic expression, others believe it could be a reflection of his frustration and demoralization stemming from his prolonged absence from the court. Meanwhile, if he competes in the World Championships this time, he will be joined by another compatriot, Leong Jun Hao, who will be making his debut in the tournament. Paris proved to be a memorable venue for Zii Jia last year, as he captured a bronze medal at the Olympic Games. Meanwhile, in the women's singles event, Malaysia will also be represented by two shuttlers, Goh Jin Wei and K. Letshanaa. All players will find out their opponents and potential path to the podium when the World Championships draw is held on Aug 13.
The Star
21-07-2025
- 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
21-07-2025
- 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
21-07-2025
- 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.
