The Badminton world number seven will soon compete as an independent athlete.
Badminton ace Lee Zii Jia and officials have made a deal to lift the ban placed on him on January 21 by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
Actions and reactions
Lee, an important member of the Malaysian badminton national team, decided to compete as an independent athlete and quit the team earlier in January.
However, BAM quickly reacted by banning the star athlete from competing in tournaments for two years.
The reaction drew the attention of both local and international players who strongly condemned the move.
Analysts say that such a ban was a tactic to end the 23-year-old’s career prematurely.
Lee was among the favorites to win the first Olympic gold for his country.
After a one-to-one meeting with BAM officials, the player took to his Instagram page to share that he had received the go-ahead from both the association and the president, Norza Zakaria, to play independently.
Lee Zii Jia stated that he was pleased to have had a private heart-to-heart meeting with BAM President Tan Sri Norza Zakaria. His parents were also present. He also commented he was happy that they are now resolving this issue with BAM after receiving Tan Sri’s blessings to become a professional player.
The Instagram post continued: “My past and future achievements will always be the product of Tan Sri Norza, BAM, and Malaysia. I am forever thankful that Tan Sri guided, nurtured, and gave me the opportunity to serve the country that I love.
“At the moment, I will commit myself for the Asia Team Championships. I hope this conclusion unites us as Malaysians and Badminton Fans. Please continue to support BAM and also the country’s professional players who are also nurtured by BAM because, at the end of the day, we are one.”
The president of BAM had also stated the importance of lifting the ban, adding that the “interest of the nation is paramount. Our goal is a gold at the Paris Olympics.”
According to the deputy president of BAM, Jaharbedeen Mohamed Yunoos, the terms of lifting the ban will be disclosed later.
Relevance of the reversal of the ban
The reversal came 24 hours after Lee appealed the ban, which would have seen him unable to perform at all tournaments organized by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The BWF only accepts players registered by their country’s national badminton association to compete, comfortably ruling out Lee from such competition.
Analysts have often described Lee as a possible heir to badminton legend Lee Chong Wei.
He endeared himself to the hearts of fans after a stellar performance at the All-England Open last year that earned him a stunning victory.
His decision to cut ties with BAM came after failing to repeat this performance at the Tokyo Olympics.
The details of the ban reversal are yet to be released, but it is believed that Lee can now register and participate in tournaments independently.