Lee Zii Jia to take indefinite break from badminton

The Malaysia No.1 announced his decision following an opening round exit from the Indonesia Open 2023.

Former All England Open champion Lee Zii Jia suffered a second successive opening-round exit following his defeat to India's Lakshya Sen in the R32 of Indonesia Open 2023. It has been a roller coaster ride for the Malaysian shuttler this season and in particular since the Sudirman Cup. The WR-11 has failed to reach the final of a single BWF World Tour tournament so far this season with his best results being the semi-final appearances at All England Open and Swiss Open.

After his straight games loss to Lakshya Sen in just 33 minutes, Lee Zii Jia announced an indefinite break from badminton. He told BWF after the result that he’d been contemplating a temporary break until he rediscovered his passion for the game.

"Lakshya played very well today. I think for now I will probably temporarily quit badminton. I don’t know how long I will take, but I will quit badminton for a while, until I get motivation again. I will take a break and get rest for a while," he was quoted as saying by the BWF website.

“Maybe I will stop playing tournaments - I don’t know for how long. I have been considering this for quite long. It’s too much for me on court, I can’t concentrate 100 percent. It will be good for me to take a break. The priority for me is to find my passion on the court. I did well at the Sudirman Cup, but I haven’t done much different after that,” he added.

Earlier it was Lakshya Sen who took a break from badminton due to mental illness and now Lee Zii Jia wants to reignite his career after taking a break. The WR 11 didn't have a good start to the season losing three out of the five matches (in four BWF tournaments). He then found his mojo back by finishing third in the All England Championships and Swiss Open.

After an extended break in the BWF circuit, the Olympic qualification cycle started with the Malaysian Masters event. Lee Zii Jia had a tough outing there after exiting in the pre-quarters and lost in the opening rounds in the next two successive tournaments (Singapore and Indonesia Open). With the Olympic qualification cycle in place, Lee Zii Jia should look to come back strong after the break, as he is one of the most talented singles players in the circuit.