National Shuttler Lee Zii Jia Skips Thomas Cup Training With Permission From BAM
Lee had permission from BAM to be absent from trainings.
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Lee Zii Jia admitted that he had a personal issue that caused him to miss several training sessions for the Thomas Cup squad.
Still, the decision was made only after discussions with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
He said BAM gave him flexibility not to attend training.
World number 7 Lee sparked a question mark when he was not seen at the central training camp since last Tuesday.
He also did not participate in the simulation tournament organized by BAM last Wednesday.
His absence also caught the attention of rivals.
TC Tim Thomas Cup Malaysia Belum Selesai, Lee Zii Jia Sudah Pulang Duluan?https://t.co/2SgiFNXwz1
— SuperBall.id (@tribunSUPERBALL) April 22, 2022
Refusing to reveal the issues that prevented him from joining his teammates for several days, the 24-year-old insisted he would play his part to collect points throughout the tournament in Bangkok from 8 to 15 May.
If you look at today’s training, (Ow) Yew Sin and (Teo) Ee Yi also did not come, so I think there is no (problem) whatsoever. I have no comment on this matter because I also have a personal issue.
Lee Zii Jia on his absence from training.
Thomas Cup Squad #TUC2022 #BadmintonMalaysia 🇲🇾
— Kemto (@akemasyraf) April 20, 2022
MS:
1. Lee Zii Jia
2. Liew Daren
3. Ng Tze Yong
4. Aidil Sholeh
5. Leong Jun Hao
MD:
1. Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik
2. Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi
3. Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin
Backup:
Chia Wei Jie pic.twitter.com/gEONVhrb7K
Lee spoke to reporters on the last day of training at the Thomas Cup centre in Bukit Kiara yesterday morning.
The matter was also confirmed by the Director of Individual Coaching, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), Wong Choong Hann.
He said the player had asked permission from BAM to do private training on Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning.
The 2022 Thomas & Uber Cup is the 32nd edition of the Thomas Cup and the 29th edition of the Uber Cup.
The biennial international badminton championship will be hosted at Bangkok, Thailand in the Impact Arena from 8 to 15 May 2022.
In a related development, Lee said he wants to focus entirely on the Asian Badminton Championships (BAC) in the Philippines, which will open from 26 to 1 May.
The competition will be a first of sorts for him.
This is my first time competing in an Asian tournament, so I want to do my best and get a satisfactory result.
Lee Zii Jia on his upcoming debut in the Asian Badminton Championships.
Earlier in January this year, Lee was banned by BAM from tournaments for two years as a punishment for quitting his national team to go independent.
Lee resolved the issue after a meeting with BAM president Norza Zakaria.
READ MORE: Lee Zii Jia Says BAM President Gave Blessings For Him To Turn Pro
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