KUALA LUMPUR – It remains to be seen whether independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia will make his much-anticipated return at the World Championships in August.
Despite reports claiming that the shuttler has accepted the invitation to compete at the world meet in Paris, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) clarified that his acceptance was part of the first phase of qualifiers in April. This was well before the Paris Olympic bronze medallist withdrew from the Japan and China Opens this month.
While there has been no official statement from his professional outfit, Team LZJ, it is understood that Zii Jia has yet to fully recover from the ankle injury he sustained at the World Tour Finals last December.
So far this season, Zii Jia has only made two appearances – at the Orléans Masters and the All England in March – before applying for a protected ranking from the BWF.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) also informed Scoop that all registrations and withdrawals for BWF and BAM sanctioned tournaments must be done through the national body.
The withdrawal deadline for the World Championships is August 12.
“For the Japan and China Opens, we were notified of his withdrawal. But for the World Championships, we’ve not heard anything yet,” said BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh.
Kenny also noted that Zii Jia’s acceptance for the World Championships came during the first phase, well before the 27-year-old pulled out of the Japan and China Opens.
Should Zii Jia return at the World Championships, scheduled from August 25 to 31, he will join BAM’s Leong Jun Hao. However, having slipped to No. 35 in the world rankings, Zii Jia will not be seeded and could face one of the top players in the opening round. – July 31, 2025