At last, a fitting successor to Chong Wei

Zii Jia’s momentous All England triumph is certainly a joyous occasion for Malaysia in the pandemic-era.

It also offers hope that Malaysian badminton has finally found a fitting replacement for former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei.

At the All England, Zii Jia showed composure and great mental strength to beat World No 1 Kento Momota and World No 2 Viktor Axelsen en route to the men’s singles crown.

The 23-year-old’s 30-29, 20-22, 21-9 win over Axelsen shows that he can maintain his nerves in high-pressure situations during a match.

Zii Jia definitely has the pedigree to become a world and an Olympic champion, but let’s not get carried away.

Many fans now compare Zii Jia to China’s reigning world champion Chen Long as they share similar characteristics in playing style.

Both are attacking players and posses powerful smashes.

It is, however, still early days to jump the gun.

But Zii Jia certainly has the skill and mental strength, which most Malaysian players lack, to sustain and beat top shuttlers.

The world is now at Zii Jia’s feet as he certainly has the potential to be as successful as Lee Chong Wei or even better than the three-time Olympic silver medallist.

However, there is also a concern. He may fail to realise his full potential like former All England champion Hafiz Hashim and a host of former top Malaysian shuttlers.

There are still some inconsistencies that Zii Jia need to address. Before the All England, Zii Jia looked jaded when badminton resumed under the Covid-19 cloud.

He failed to shine in three tournaments in Bangkok and the Swiss Open.

Of course, shuttlers are not machines, and they will have off days.

However, Zii Jia just has to make sure these off days become a rarity for him.

The BA of Malaysia (BAM) will have to plan and help Zii Jia accordingly to achieve greatness as the Kedah-born definitely has the potential to upset the form book at the Tokyo Olympics, especially after beating two of the best players in the world in Birmingham.

My advice to Zii Jia is to enjoy his All England moment and immediately head back to the court to work on his game when he arrives in Kuala Lumpur.

He should only think about himself, be selfish and only work with his coaches.

Distractions are not healthy for athletes.

Many top local shuttlers had failed as they could not manage the limelight and popularity, and Zii Jia should avoid these pitfalls.

He needs to remind himself that winning one prestigious event is only the start of better things to come.

There are many more prestigious tournaments to win.

It would also be wise for the shuttler to avoid reading the newspapers as articles, good or bad, could affect him ahead of priority assignments.

The BAM need to protect him in all aspects as Zii Jia is no longer a rough diamond.

He is now a well-cut and polished gem with age on his side to take his game to the next level and bring success to the country.