Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Lee Chong Wei has offered his support to Lee Zii Jia as the Malaysian badminton star deals with an ongoing court dispute involving members of his family and LZJ Management Sdn Bhd, urging him to stay strong and keep his attention on his career and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The former world No. 1 said he sympathizes with the situation facing Lee, who has climbed back to world No. 42 after a difficult season and recently produced one of his best badminton performances of the year at the Arctic Open in Finland.
Lee Chong Wei Sympathizes With Lee Zii Jia
Chong Wei acknowledged that dealing with a legal dispute involving family members can be particularly difficult, especially when the issue is also being widely discussed in public and on social media.
“I feel sympathy for Zii Jia because a situation like this is not easy to deal with, especially when it involves family,” Chong Wei said.
He also believes it would be unrealistic to suggest that the situation has no effect on Lee mentally.
“If we say this does not affect him mentally, I think that would not be true. A situation like this is definitely not easy to deal with,” he said.
Chong Wei Encouraged by Lee Zii Jia’s Arctic Open Form
Despite the off-court issue, Chong Wei sees encouraging signs in Lee’s badminton after his run to the semifinals of the 2026 Arctic Open.
Lee defeated France’s world No. 2 Christo Popov 21-11, 21-16 in the quarterfinals before pushing eventual champion Anders Antonsen to three games in the semifinals.
Antonsen eventually prevailed 21-11, 15-21, 21-16 after a 78-minute contest.
Chong Wei estimated that Lee has returned to around 75 percent of his best level, pointing to improvements in his confidence as well as his attacking and defensive game.
For a player who has spent much of the season trying to rediscover consistency, the Arctic Open represented an important step forward.
2028 Los Angeles Olympics Remain a Major Target
Chong Wei believes Lee now needs to concentrate on himself, his badminton career and the longer-term goal of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
“My advice is that he needs to focus more on himself and his career. He is not getting any younger, and Olympic qualification will begin next year. I hope he can come back stronger, become better and focus on his future,” Chong Wei said.
Lee won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics and remains one of Malaysia’s most prominent men’s singles players.
Lee Chong Wei Ready to Help Lee Zii Jia
Chong Wei also made it clear that his support goes beyond words, saying he is prepared to use his own experience in elite badminton to help Lee if assistance is needed.
“Whatever I can do to help, I will help. I hope he can come through what he is facing now and continue focusing on the future,” he said.
That offer comes as Lee continues rebuilding both his form and world ranking following a challenging period on the international circuit.
Lee Zii Jia’s LZJ Management Court Dispute
Lee Zii Jia was reported to have filed an application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 2 concerning LZJ Management Sdn Bhd, the company connected to the management of his professional badminton career.
The application seeks a court order allowing an extraordinary general meeting to be held after an earlier attempt to convene the meeting did not proceed.
Lee Zii Jia is also seeking an interim injunction involving his father, Lee Chee Hin, and sister, Lee Zii Yii, aimed at restricting certain financial and management decisions while the proceedings continue.
The application is being contested, and the court has not yet made a final determination on the dispute.
HYLO Open Next for Lee Zii Jia
Lee Zii Jia is expected to return to competition at the 2026 HYLO Open in Saarbrücken, Germany, which runs from October 27 to November 1.
The BWF World Tour Super 500 tournament will give him another opportunity to build on the momentum generated by his Arctic Open semifinal appearance.
For Chong Wei, the priority is straightforward: Lee should keep moving forward, protect his focus and continue working toward the level of badminton required to challenge again on the biggest stage.
