‘CHALLENGE STARTS NOW FOR ZII JIA’
Ex-All England champ Hafiz warns new star of high expectations
IN many ways, former All England champion Hafiz Hashim sees similarities between him and Lee Zii Jia. On Sunday, Zii Jia joined Hafiz in the elite club of only six Malaysians to have won the men’s singles crown in the prestigious All England championships, when he defeated title holder Viktor Axelsen of Denmark in the final in Birmingham.
Hafiz told Timesport yesterday that even as Zii Jia basks in All England glory, the real challenge starts for the 23-year-old from Kedah now.
Recalling his days after winning the All England in 2003, the Kelantan-born Hafiz said: “When I won the All England, I was just a year younger than Zii Jia. And just like Zii Jia, I wasn’t the favourite to win.
“China’s Chen Hong was the World No 1 and I was World No 33 then.
“In many ways, I see a lot of similarities between myself and Zii Jia, but times have changed since then.
“So, the real challenge starts now for him,” said Hafiz.
However, unlike former World No 1 Lee Chong Wei who bagged four All England titles, Hafiz lamented that he won only one major title.
The national junior coach hopes that Zii Jia will go on to win many more titles and not be a one-hit wonder.
Hafiz’s advice to Zii Jia is to be stronger mentally and to add more variety to his playing arsenal.
“Back then there was no social media, I knew nothing of my opponents in terms of their game.
“There was also a lot of pressure on me to perform after I won the All England, and that was only natural because it’s such a prestigious title.
“I couldn’t handle the expectations and my form began to dip. Zii Jia needs to realise that in the current age, everyone including, Kento Momota and Axelsen will now be aiming for his scalp, that’s just the way it is at the highest level.
“When Chong Wei won his first All England title in 2011, he was already an established player, he was already on top of the world, so it came as no surprise when he won it.
“Zii Jia and I, on the other hand, won it by surprise.
“My advice to Zii Jia is to continue training hard, work on becoming strong mentally.
“There will be days when you lose and come under criticism but don’t let that affect you.”
“You are now the All England champion, people will only expect you to aim higher and get more success,” he added.
Just like Zii Jia, Hafiz is also a towering figure at 1.88 metres. However, the 38-year-old admitted that being lanky is not always the best attribute.
“Another advice to Zii Jia is to avoid injuries.
“As taller athletes, we are more prone to injuries and this is based on facts.
“My career was affected because I picked up a wrist injury and then a knee injury, which eventually led to an Achilles injury before I called it quits.
“Zii Jia needs to be careful of this when he intensifies his training.”
Hafiz took his hat off to Zii Jia, who silenced his critics after a poor start to the season, by capturing the All England in style
“Take nothing away from Zii Jia’s achievement.
“When I watched him play in the All England final, I knew the title was his.
“He defeated (World No 1) Momota in the quarter-finals and then (World No 2) Axelsen in the final, now that's what you call a complete mission.
“It wasn’t a fluke. I am extremely proud of Zii Jia and I wish him all the best in his future,” Hafiz said.