Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Thomas Cup squad received a huge boost today, with professional singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia having fully recovered from his ankle injury and ready for action if called up for national duty.
His coach, Liew Daren, said the shuttler is not only free from any physical issues, but is currently fully focused on his more intensive training programme to ensure his performance is at the optimum level.
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"Yes, he (Zii Jia) is 100 per cent recovered (from his ankle injury),” he said at the Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) here today.
He said he could already see significant improvement in Zii Jia during the second training session with players from the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM), after the shuttler underwent his first training on Wednesday (April 8).
“Actually, the most important thing here (at ABM) is that there are so many sparring opportunities. So, it's good for him because he needs to play against all types of players,” he said.
Commenting on the health check offer from the National Sports Institute (NSI), which was relayed to him by BAM Performance Committee chairman Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Daren expressed his gratitude for the concern shown, but explained that Zii Jia is in the best shape as a result of his own team's efforts.
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Meanwhile, national men's singles coach K. Yogendran, who is handling the world number 83 Zii Jia's training at ABM, admitted that he could see the shuttler giving his best in every training session.
"What is important is that he has a good environment to train in, and the training programme is running smoothly. That's why it's important for us to support one another,” said Yogendran.
He also admitted that Zii Jia's presence at ABM has benefited the younger shuttlers, who look up to him as a source of inspiration.
“I think it actually benefits everyone... it benefits Zii Jia, it benefits our young players, and it benefits Malaysian badminton. That’s the most important thing,” he said.
The 2026 Thomas Cup Finals will be held in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24 to May 3.
