KUALA LUMPUR — It looks like Independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia will have a new coach at next month’s Super 1000 Malaysia Open.
The Malaysia Open will be the season opener in 2025 and it is scheduled to take place from January 7 to 12.
Team LZJ manager, Lee Zii Yii, who is also Zii Jia’s sister, confirmed this in a brief message to Scoop.
When asked if Zii Jia will have a new coach at the start of the new season, Zii Yii said, “Yes, you got that right.”
At the same time, according to the world number eight’s recent interview in Hangzhou, ahead of the World Tour Finals, it appears to be the case.
Team LZJ confirmed last week that the US$2.5 million (RM11.02 million) season-ending finale will be the last assignment for current head coach Wong Tat Meng. Several sources suggest that Tat Meng is set to move to Australia.
“Team LZJ has already identified a new coach. Expect an announcement after the World Tour Finals,” Zii Jia told sports portal myallsports.com.
Zii Jia, who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics under Tat Meng’s guidance, hopes to give his coach a fitting send-off at the World Tour Finals.
“I hope to perform well here, so I can give my coach (Tat Meng) the perfect parting gift,” said Zii Jia, who will face Chinese Taipei’s Chou Tien Chen in his first Group A match tomorrow.
Other shuttlers in the group include Denmark’s Anders Antonsen and China’s last-minute inclusion Li Shi Feng. Only the top two players from the group will advance to the semi-finals.
This year’s edition marks Zii Jia’s third appearance at the World Tour Finals, following his debut in 2020 (Bangkok). His best result came in 2021 when he reached the semi-finals in Bali.
After leaving the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) in 2022, Zii Jia appointed Tat Meng the following year to help him secure an Olympic podium finish.
Apart from being a former head coach with BAM, Tat Meng also had stints in Scotland, Indonesia, South Korea, and Hong Kong. – December 10, 2024
