YOUTH and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said national shuttler Lee Zii Jia has been asked to sign a Letter of Commitment for the Road To Gold (RTG) programme before November 14.

Yeoh, who confirmed Zii Jia was the only RTG athlete who has yet to sign the deal, said he was required to sign the LOC to get benefits and services under the elite programme towards the country’s first Olympic gold.

“I would really appreciate it if Zii Jia makes it a priority to sign the LOC as soon as possible, as all other athletes, including Datuk Mohd Azizulhasni Awang and Datuk Pandelela Rinong, have signed.

“We are committed to help them but they must have some kind of commitment to give back to the government. The LOC is to say they’re agreeable to be admitted into the RTG, so they also have to play their part in updating us, cooperating with us and meeting regularly with coordinators,” she told a press conference after the RTG committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur today.

Yeoh also praised Zii Jia for climbing four spots in the world ranking and 11 spots in the Race to Paris rankings, especially this month when he won the Arctic Open in Finland and finished second in the Denmark Open.

Yeoh said those dropped from RTG today – the national hockey team and independent mixed doubles shuttlers Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Jemie Lai – would still receive support via the Podium Programme.

RTG programme coordinator Stuart Ramalingam said the committee has been in contact with Zii Jia’s team but the shuttler has been busy with training and competitions. – Bernama, October 31, 2023.