KUALA LUMPUR – Independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia remains the only athlete in the ongoing Road To Gold (RTG) programme who has yet to sign a Letter of Commitment (LoC), a mandatory requirement set by the RTG committee.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said that the LoC is a prerequisite in exchange for the benefits and services provided to the athletes under the elite programme in the nation’s pursuit of gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“I would really appreciate it if Zii Jia prioritises signing the LoC within the next two weeks, as all other athletes, including Datuk Muhammad Azizulhasni Awang and Datuk Pandelela Rinong, have already signed.
“We are committed to helping them, but they must also commit to giving back to the government. The LoC signifies their agreement to be admitted into the RTG, so they must cooperate, update us regularly and meet with the coordinators,” said Hannah at a press conference at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil today.
Hannah further explained that, despite Zii Jia not being ranked in the top 10 to be part of RTG, the decision to include the 25-year-old Kedahan was based on the progress he has shown in the past four months, from June to October.
“Zii Jia has demonstrated improvements in his game over the past few months, and we believe he has the potential to win a medal in the upcoming Olympics.
“He has proven himself by excelling in recent tournaments, and his world ranking has climbed to number nine in the Road to Paris rankings. That’s the sole reason why we have included him in the programme,” Hannah added.
Meanwhile, RTG coordinator Datuk Stuart Ramalingam said that the committee has been in contact with Zii Jia’s team through various channels, but the shuttler has been busy with his training and competitions.
“We will continue to engage to ensure Zii Jia understands that the commitment agreement is necessary and important. He has been very busy, as he communicated to us, so he was unable to meet us.
“We hope that now he is back in Malaysia after his competitions, he will allocate some time for the RTG programme for us to discuss his requirements and needs. We believe he will engage with us this time,” he said.
Stuart said the independent shuttler has received sports science services twice under the programme, despite not signing the LoC. However, the stipulated additional funds and allowances will not be provided until Zii Jia signs the agreement.
Zii Jia, who is currently ranked 11th in the world, recently clinched his sixth World Tour victory by winning the Arctic Open and finished as the runner-up in the Denmark Open on October 22. – October 31, 2023
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