ZII JIA PROVES HIS CRITICS WRONG
Malaysian’s All England triumph makes up for earlier poor show
BAM coaching director Wong Choong Hann has praised Lee Zii Jia and the men’s singles coaching staff for taking the heat during the bad times and making a magnificent comeback.
On Sunday, Zii Jia became only the sixth Malaysian men’s singles player to win the prestigious All England crown when he defeated last year's champion Viktor Axelsen of Denmark 30-29, 20-22, 21-9 in the final.
The triumph came after Zii Jia endured a month of criticism for his poor showing at the Asian leg of the World Tour in Bangkok in January.
Many had called for a revamp of the national stable, with some even questioning Zii Jia’s place.
“Zii Jia had some tough time earlier, but he made a promise to get back on his feet, and he did just that during his preparation for the European circuit (including the Swiss Open earlier).
“We were just not sure if he would peak at the All England.
“He really outdid himself. The whole week here, we had been focusing on one match at a time.
“It is a huge morale booster for the coaching team and BAM. We are indeed happy for him and with his performance,” Choong Hann told Timesport.
Zii Jia, who lost in the semifinals to Axelsen last year, made sure he would capture the crown this time in style.
En route to etching his name on the coveted trophy, Zii Jia had upset World No 1 Kento Momota of Japan for the first time in the quarter-finals.
Choong Hann, however, acknowledged that fans should not get too carried away with Zii Jia’s achievement and allow the 23year-old to continue improving for his own good.
“We acknowledge Zii Jia's success, but at the same time, we also know that he is not a finished product yet.
“He still needs to polish up to be a real world-beater.
“To win in one big event is great, but to do that consistently is another level of challenge.
“Zii Jia must learn to cope with that demand at the highest competitive level.
“We, the coaching team, are determined to assist Zii Jia on that.
“We believe the Thailand outing had taught us a lot.
“Zii Jia is more mature now, and he knows how to handle success. He is well grounded.
“Credit also to the men’s singles coaching department for taking the heat head-on and for helping Zii Jia make a grand comeback,” Choong Hann added.
Zii Jia is currently under the care of national men’s singles coaches Hendrawan and Tey Seu Bock. Both Hendrawan and Seu Bock had also played a pivotal role in the later years of Lee Chong Wei’s career.