KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 11 Lee Zii Jia's bid to reach his first semi-final of the year was foiled again when he crashed out today in the last eight of the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China.
Zii Jia, the 2022 champion, flopped miserably, losing 21-11, 21-6 to Indonesia's Jonatan Christie to mark his first defeat in six matches.
A defeat in such a tame manner was certainly perplexing on the day Zii Jia was supposed to be extra motivated after being named in the squad for the Thomas Cup Finals in Chengdu from April 28-May 5.
Zii Jia has also secured a major financial boost as he would become the first independent player to be paid a compensation fee to put on the national jersey after reaching an agreement of an undisclosed fee with the BA of Malaysia.
For the record, Zii Jia is sponsored by Victor, which is a direct competitor to Yonex, the official shirt and equipment sponsor for the national team.
Zii Jia, through his Team LZJ's official statement on various social media platforms, insists that it is always an honour to don the national colours despite the eyebrow-raising compensation that he is set to receive.
"The eight letters spelling my beloved country's name Malaysia far outweighs the five letters that is my name on my jersey," read the statement.
"It's an honour carrying Malaysia's pride in individual tournaments and even more so in team events like the historic Thomas Cup with my fellow countrymen.
"Thank you BAM for continuing to trust in my abilities to deliver for the team."
A separate post shared by Team LZJ later the day played down the compensation fee, insisting that Zii Jia was entitled to "image rights" as a professional player.
"Lee Zii Jia's desire to represent Malaysia's Thomas Cup team was never in question," the statement said.
"It was always a yes, but an opportunity arose from both parties to advance the sporting practice of 'image rights' in Malaysian sport which is an important aspect for a professional athlete.
"Zii Jia and Team LZJ are always very proud to serve the country but we also value the importance of image rights that is essential for the lifeblood of a professional athlete that is independent from the association.
"We are very glad that BAM recognises this and is supportive of the existence of professional athletes."
