Lee-ave it to Zii Jia
Youngster wants to carry on Chong Wei’s legacy
THE senior Lee ended his final stint in the Thomas Cup Finals with a good show.
But for the junior Lee, it’s the beginning of a new journey.
Lee Chong Wei and Lee Zii Jia were part of the team that fell to a 3-1 defeat to Indonesia in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
The 35-year-old Chong Wei won all his matches while the 20-yearold Zii Jia memorably stole a point from Denmark in a Group D tie on Wednesday.
Without Chong Wei, Zii Jia is seen as the next first singles player for Malaysia at the next Finals.
Zii Jia summed up his debut as a rollercoaster ride – enjoying a high with a win over HansKristian Vittinghus of Denmark and then losing his momentum with a defeat to Indonesia’s Kuala Lumpur SEA Games champion Jonatan Christie.
“I’ve learnt much from this experience. I’ve never played in front of a big crowd before,” said Zii Jia.
“The Thomas Cup is like a Superseries tournament and I’ve gained lots of confidence. I’m still inconsistent and I’ve much to learn and improve,” said Zii Jia, adding that he would give his best to carry on Chong Wei’s legacy.
“I hope to improve from here but it’ll not be an easy road. I’ll try to emulate Chong Wei. Hopefully, we’ll have a stronger team in 2020,” said Zii Jia.
“Personally, I also want to break into the world top 20 this year. I must keep the momentum going,” added the world No. 45, who is determined to learn as much as possible from national head coach Datuk Misbun Sidek.