After the instability in Lee’s 2023 season, he wants to have a strong start in 2024 on home soil.
Lee Zii Jia is hoping for a strong start to the Olympic year after losing his assistant coach Liew Daren in the final week of 2023, capping a challenging year.
With only seven months to go, Malaysia’s rising badminton star will undoubtedly be focusing on the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
However, Lee will be looking for the ideal start in 2024 with the Malaysia Open on home soil, following a wild 2023 that came to an unsatisfactory finish with the resignation of his assistant coach.
For Lee, who has not advanced to the final of the Malaysia Open or Malaysia Masters in any of his eight prior starts, Malaysian competitions have not been a comfortable hunting ground.
“No one wants to lose, particularly in the presence of the home supporters,” Lee stated. It matters how I respond to and control the pressure. My objective is still to continuously record improved outcomes.
I expect to do better this time, but I’m not worrying about my previous performance.”
Lee’s 2023 season
Following his 2023 season finale at the China Masters in December, Lee, a Malaysian, took some time off before sharing pictures of himself working out on social media.
He disclosed that this is a component of coach Wong Tat Meng’s intentions for him this year.
“I was training intensively under coach Tat Meng for an entire month to get ready for the upcoming season. and these workouts on the beach every week are quite new for me,” he said.
“It’s an enjoyable way to practice – I’ve felt light on the net following the practice sessions and maybe it will assist me in tournaments.”
But just before the year ended, Lee suffered his last blow when assistant coach and sparring partner Liew Daren left “Team LZJ” for personal reasons.
However, Zii Jia‘s side was able to promptly identify Lee Shun Yang, a suitable substitute for Liew, as a result of that setback.
A bronze winner at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games, Lee Shun Yang was swiftly engaged to assist in supplying Zii Jia with some rival sparring partners after his previous deal with the Popov brothers of France fell through. Lee Shun Yang was dropped from the Badminton Association of Malaysia roster.
After a disappointing start to 2023 that saw him take a break from the sport midway through last year, the Malaysian hit a purple patch of form in the second half of the season following a change in coach, including winning his first BWF title in 17 months at the Arctic Open.
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