KUALA LUMPUR: Local sports fans are advised to give some space to the country’s leading men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia to take a breather and come back stronger.
Local sports analyst Datuk Dr Pekan Ramli said the 25-year-old player’s decision to take a break from competitive action was the right call, especially during a rough patch of form.
He felt that Zii Jia deserved much-needed moral support from the community if Malaysia wished to see the Kedahan return to his best.
“I think Zii Jia’s decision to rest is the right one to ease the pressure he is facing. I see that’s a positive thing that other international athletes also do if they feel their performance is going down, the best way to forget everything is to start afresh.
“His decision not to participate in several tournaments is also good because from there (participating) he gets pressure especially when he loses in a tournament. But that doesn’t mean Zii Jia needs to rest for too long, because then his world ranking will keep falling,“ he said when contacted by Bernama today.
Pekan suggested that a period of between one and three months was enough for Zii Jia to pay attention to himself and boost his morale.
He added that Zii Jia needed to accept the fact that being the main country’s main player was not easy, as the job often came with a lot of pressure to deliver on the biggest stages.
High-performing athletes, he added, would often be highly praised when they achieved success but also severely criticised every time they faltered.
“Nevertheless, next month he is expected to have Wong Tat Meng as a coach, so I’m sure Tat Meng will devise a plan that suits Zii Jia’s needs. The c
oach’s presence by his side will definitely be a morale booster for Zii Jia to restore confidence and improve his weaknesses,“ he said.
Pekan also believed that Zii Jia should enlist the services of a psychologist to clear his mind, in addition to having a training partner of equal measure to up his game.
Based on a Badminton World Federation (BWF) ranking update yesterday, Zii Jia slipped out of the world’s top ten in the sport.
He fell a rung to 11th, overtaken by China’s Li Shi Feng.
Zii Jia bowed out of the first round of the 2023 Indonesia Open yesterday as he lost to India’s Lakshya Sen, 21-17, 21-13, in 33 minutes of action at the Istora Senayan Stadium.
After the defeat, Zii Jia announced that he had decided to take a temporary break from competitive action, but did not reveal the duration. - Bernama