Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia’s World No. 8 men’s singles player Lee Zii Jia acknowledged that he managed to recover from a challenging period last year, during which his ranking dropped significantly.
Lee Zii Jia mentioned that during this tough time, he felt confused about his performance, resulting in a decline in his ranking from the World No. 2 to World No. 17 in the world.
Lee Zii Jia’s BWF Interview: Insights and Reflections
“Starting last year, I think it was one of the most difficult moments in my career. My ranking dropped almost to 17 or 16 from being in the top two in the world,” said Lee.
“At that time, I was quite confused, and I thought maybe I wouldn’t qualify for the Olympics. I had various problems with my playing style and confidence.”
“Last year (Indonesian Open), after losing in the first round, I said, ‘I need to take a break, stop for a while.’ I thought I needed to find the fun in badminton again.”
“A lot happened at that time,” Lee Zii Jia told the Badminton World Federation (BWF) in a video uploaded on YouTube.
Lee Zii Jia faced a tough period last year with inconsistent performance, causing his ranking to plummet. However, he has since bounced back, now ranking seventh in the world.
“Looking back, it was a valuable experience for me and a significant challenge. I managed to overcome it,” explained Lee.
Lee Zii Jia is set to make his second Olympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Games, where he will compete in Group G alongside Pablo Abian (Spain) and Viren Nettasinghe (Sri Lanka).
Badminton is scheduled to take place at the Porte de la Chapelle Arena from July 27 to August 5.
