Lee Zii Jia
KUALA LUMPUR: Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is set for an extended spell on the sidelines after securing ranking protection from the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
Team LZJ announced on Monday (March 24) that Zii Jia’s withdrawal from the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, on April 8 was due to his ongoing recovery from injury.
The 2022 Asian champion had earlier pulled out of the Swiss Open after struggling with a right ankle injury, which visibly affected his performances at the Orleans Masters and All-England.
Notably, these two European tournaments were the only events he had competed in this year before shifting his focus to rehabilitation and recovery.
However, it remains uncertain when Zii Jia will make his return to competitive action.
"After careful consideration and advice from relevant parties including medical experts, Team LZJ have submitted and successfully applied for Zii Jia’s ranking protection under the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
"This is to allow Zii Jia to continue in his recovery from a right ankle injury and will miss the forthcoming tournaments including the Asian Championships.
"Rest assured we are doing our best to aid Zii Jia in his rehabilitation and training program.
"His return to competitive on-court action will depend on his recovery. In the meantime, we thank the fans and our sponsors for their unwavering support," said TeamLZJ in a statement.
Currently ranked No. 9 in the world, Zii Jia can focus on his recovery without worrying about his ranking being affected, thanks to the protected ranking status.
However, under BWF regulations, a player’s protected ranking is only valid for up to one year.
