Zii Jia banned after quitting BAM
Published on: Saturday, January 22, 2022
By: Agencies
Zii Jia has been slapped with a two-year ban.
Kuala Lumpur: Top national men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has been made to pay a high price for quitting the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), who have decided to ban him from playing in international tournaments for a two-year period.BAM deputy president Datuk Seri Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos said they would not register Zii Jia for any tournaments for a two-year period effective from Jan 18.ADVERTISEMENT
Jahaberdeen, who is also the BAM Legal Advisory Committee chairman, said they held a series of discussions with world number seven Zii Jia after he tendered his resignation letter on Jan 11.
“However, Zii Jia has stood by his decision, claiming that he can’t stand the pressure of being in the national squad and the regimented lifestyle at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM). During one of the discussions, he also submitted several terms, which we rejected.
“Those terms were to have his own team of coaches and support staff, to plan his own tournaments and to have his own sponsors. We have to take this difficult decision for national interest and financial consequences, having groomed the player for 11 years,” he told a press conference at the ABM, here, Friday.
BAM have also decided to slap a similar two-year ban on former junior world champion Goh Jin Wei, who abruptly left the national badminton governing body last year citing health reasons. Her ban is effective from Oct 31, 2021.ADVERTISEMENT
To play in any Badminton World Federation (BWF)-sanctioned tournaments, shuttlers have to be registered through their national associations.
However, Jahaberdeen said BAM had no intention to fine the shuttlers for now.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the shuttlers could appeal against the decision anytime and the door was open for them to return to BAM’s fold.
Previously, BAM had barred players like Tan Chung Seang and Toh Ee Wei for leaving the national set-up. Ee Wei, however, made a U-turn to rejoin BAM.
Zii Jia, previously seen as one of Malaysia’s best hopes of winning the country’s first ever Olympic gold medal, has yet to comment publicly since news emerged he was cutting ties with BAM.
He has been held up as the heir to Malaysian legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei, rising rapidly up the rankings and scoring a breakthrough victory at the prestigious All England Open last year.
World number one Viktor Axelsen of Denmark earlier this week voiced support for Zii Jia’s decision to go independent, tweeting that “it’s his career and his life after all”.
The BWF has not commented specifically on Zii Jia’s case.
But in a statement Thursday, its secretary general Thomas Lund noted there was a precedent of independent players and a country’s member association reaching an agreement whereby the association submits entries into tournaments for the players.
Badminton is one of the few sports in which Malaysia performs well internationally. Three-time Olympic silver medallist Chong Wei, who retired in 2019, was one of the greatest players of his generation.
Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
Daily Express Malaysia
* Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss.
* Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.