NATIONAL number one men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia revealed today he had, since last year, considered turning professional.

The 23-year-old, who hails from Alor Setar, Kedah, said this came about after his inconsistent performance in three tournaments in Thailand, starting with the Yonex Thailand Open, followed by the Toyota Thailand Open and the Badminton World Federation World Tour Finals that were all held in Bangkok last January.

“I asked (myself) if this is the end? But my coaches told me this was a process I had to go through. I then made a final decision to quit the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) after our trip to Europe at the end of last year,” he said in an interview with Astro Arena today.

The world number seven also confirmed that he would form his own team, which will be based in Malaysia, as a professional player, besides promising to give his commitment to representing the country in major tournaments such as the Thomas Cup, 2022 Asian Games and Paris Olympics 2024.

“When I tendered my resignation letter (to BAM), I was prepared for the worst-case scenario of not being allowed to play for two years. But I never thought of changing my citizenship status or going overseas,” he said.

On Friday, BAM announced that they would not register Lee for any tournaments for a period of two years effective January 18 after the 2019 SEA Games champion tendered his resignation letter a week earlier.

However, BAM president Mohamad Norza Zakaria yesterday gave Lee the green light to turn professional after accepting his appeal and holding discussions with the lanky shuttler. – Bernama, January 26, 2022.