KUALA LUMPUR – Men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has decided not to accept the offer to be included in the Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
Zii Jia has opted to stay out of the RTG programme leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics and remains consistent in his decision for the next edition in 2028 in Los Angeles.
The 27-year-old independent athlete, who secured a bronze medal at the Paris Games, shared the news in a statement on social media through Team LZJ today.
"After much consideration, we have decided not to take up the offer to be included in the Road to Gold programme," the statement read.
"RTG is a programme reserved for the best of the best in the country, and since Zii Jia is still recovering from his injury, we feel that the appropriate assistance from the programme should be given to his peers who are more deserving at this moment in time.
"Although Zii Jia will not be part of the RTG programme, we deeply value the opportunity and would like to express our sincerest appreciation and gratitude to the RTG committee, especially Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and RTG coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam, for taking the time to meet Zii Jia personally."
Zii Jia is currently recovering from a right ankle ligament injury sustained during the World Tour Finals in December and is targeting a comeback at the Japan Open from 15–20 July in Tokyo.
Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that her RTG committee respects Zii Jia’s decision and added that the programme remains open to him in the future.
“We had a fruitful discussion a few days ago, and he explained to us why he opted not to join the programme. I would also like to thank him for providing valuable input on how we can further support professional players.
“We understood where he was coming from, and he informed us that he would be issuing a media statement very soon on the matter.
“At the end of the day, the decision lies in the hands of the athletes. We respect whatever decision they make.
“We wish him the best, and the door is always open for him should he decide to join RTG,” said Hannah during a press conference at Menara KBS in Putrajaya today.
RTG is designed to provide Malaysia’s top athletes with additional support to challenge for gold at the Olympics and other major international competitions.
In addition to sports science support, competition exposure, and coaching, athletes under the RTG programme also receive a monthly allowance of RM3,000. - June 10, 2025
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