BADMINTON ace Lee Zii Jia and officials have struck a deal to lift a ban imposed on former last week after he quit the national team.

The world number seven cut ties with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) this month to play as an independent, but the body hit back by prohibiting him from competing in tournaments for two years.

The ban triggered fury, with top international players condemning a move that could have prematurely ended the career of the country’s best hope to win the first Olympic gold.

Lee, 23, said he has received BAM president Mohamad Norza Zakaria’s “blessings” to go independent, following crisis talks.

“I am happy that we are now resolving this issue. I hope this conclusion unites us as Malaysians and badminton fans,” he said on Instagram.

Norza, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that he has granted Lee’s wish to become a professional player.

The “interest of the nation is paramount. Our goal is gold at the Paris Olympics (in 2024) – BAM will support him”, he added.

BAM deputy president Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos confirmed an agreement has been reached to lift the ban, saying the terms will be disclosed next week.

The news comes a day after Lee filed an appeal against the ban, which prevented him from playing in all tournaments sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

BWF sanctions all important tournaments, and each country’s domestic association is responsible for registering players – meaning BAM is able to block the player from competing.

Lee has been held up as the heir to legend Lee Chong Wei, rising rapidly up the rankings and scoring a breakthrough victory at the prestigious All England Open last year.

But he cut ties with BAM after performing poorly at recent tournaments, including the Tokyo Olympics. – AFP, January 25, 2022.