Misbun’s protege comes of age in Bangkok

ALL the hard work of men's singles head coach Misbun Sidek is slowly bearing fruit.

In just 10 months, he has groomed 20-year-old Lee Zii Jia to win a point for Malaysia at the Thomas Cup Finals.

Malaysia lost 3-1 to Indonesia in the quarter-finals but Misbun could still afford to smile.

No one gave Zii Jia a ghost of a chance but he defeated HansKristian Vittinghus in a tie against Denmark in Group D.

The only other player to win a point in Malaysia's crucial ties was Lee Chong Wei, who won his matches against Viktor Axelsen and also Anthony Ginting.

And the good news is that Misbun have several others waiting in the wings.

“Zii Jia proved his potential at the Finals. Winning a point is a huge step for him. He will be a more confident player," said Misbun.

“In two years time, I can see Zii Jia, Leong Jun Hao, Cheam June Wei and Tan Jia Wei as our four singles players at the next Finals.

“There are other seniors too. With more effort and focus, we can have a pool of good players.

“I wish, I can start training as early as 3am. I've the potential but I don't have enough time. Players from other countries are fast improving too.

Misbun said the players must minimise distractions to give more focus on badminton.

“I'm happy that all players are already in training hall at 6am. The training environment is good but some of our players can be distracted with other things, like their phones.

“I'm trying to keep the team united. There are still a lot of things that need to be done – but I'm confident with time, they will step up.”

Misbun was also happy to see the 35-year-old Chong Wei's leadership.

“He showed his hunger and desire to win – even at this age. The others should emulate him. Iskandar is also a good model – he is a big brother to the other juniors in the team.

“We've a good team and I'll try to keep this family together.”