KUALA LUMPUR – The decision by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) to send a young line-up to the upcoming Sudirman Cup as well as the Thomas and Uber Cup, will give the shuttlers an opportunity to prove their mettle, says national men’s singles ace, Lee Zii Jia.
He said it would also provide the team with valuable experience and exposure playing against more established players.
The 2021 All England champion, who is also the captain of the country’s Sudirman and Thomas Cup teams this time, admitted it would be a huge challenge, as the average age of the squad was between 23 and 24, with himself and men’s doubles pair Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik being the main contenders.
The 23-year-old said, however, he was ready to take on the responsibility based on his experience at the Philippine SEA Games and the Sudirman Cup in Nanning, China, in 2019.
“For the Thomas Cup, this is the first time I will shoulder the responsibility after the retirement of Datuk Lee Chong Wei (in mid-2019), there is indeed a bit of pressure. But I believe we can overcome this with the support of all teammates, because whether win or lose, we go as one team.
“My first experience as the main singles player was during the Sudirman Cup 2019, it was a good experience, which made me more mature,” he told reporters following Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s visit to Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) here today.
Asked to comment on the national squad’s chances of overcoming Japan, who have lost three men’s doubles players, coupled with Kento Momota struggling for form, Zii Jia said there was a chance to create an upset, but it would depend on the situation on the day of the competition.
Japan’s world number six pair Keigo Sonoda-Takeshi Kamura and Hiroyuki Endo (who formed the world number five pairing with Yuta Watanabe) announced their retirement following poor performances at the Tokyo Olympics, last month.
Malaysia have been drawn in Group D alongside Japan for both the Sudirman and Thomas Cup competitions.
The Sudirman Cup is scheduled to take place in Vantaa, Finland from Sept 26 to Oct 3, while the finals of the Thomas Cup and Uber Cup will take place in Aarhus, Denmark, from Oct 9 to 17.
Meanwhile, women’s doubles player Lee Meng Yean said she would be pairing up with a few young players in a bid to form a solid partnership to return to the top 10 in the world, following her partner Chow Mei Kuan’s retirement after the Tokyo Olympics.
Meng Yean, who will not be competing in the Sudirman Cup, will be paired with Go Pei Kee, 19, in the Uber Cup, while for the Danish Open (Oct 19-24) and French Open (Oct 26-31), the 27-year-old will play alongside Yap Cheng Wen.
“I’m still trying out (with the players) for compatibility, hopefully we can decide on it (partnership) soon. Although I have been playing with Mei Kuan for more than 10 years, I think her retirement opens up new challenges and opportunities for me to develop my career with other players, with the hope of winning more titles in the future,” she said.
