For the first time in 14 years, Lee Chong Wei will not be the first men’s singles for the Malaysian team at the Thomas Cup. This responsibility has gone to Lee Zii Jia. Malaysia is in group A with Indonesia, the Netherlands and England.

Lee Chong Wei said that young Lee Zii Jia has a big responsibility now. “But this is the pressure he will have to handle because he’s the top men’s singles player in the country,” Lee said through The Star. He said that coaches Hendrawan and Wong Choong Hann have plenty of Thomas Cup experiences which would help the young player manage the pressure.

The Rio Olympic silver medalist said, “Being the first to go into action, he’s the leader of the team and his task is to get the team off to a winning start.” According to Lee, the first point is extremely important to lift the team’s morale and ease the pressure off the team.

Lee Zii Jia has had good results in individual tournaments; winning gold at the 2019 SEA Games, reaching the semifinals of the Malaysia Masters and the All England this year. But Lee Chong Wei said that the pressure of playing in individual and team tournaments are “totally different.”

He said, “In team events, you are not just playing for yourself. The whole team will be counting on you.” He said that when he was playing the first singles, he was always extra careful to ensure that he did not let the team down.

Lee puts his trust in the young player. He said, “I have faith in Zii Jia… (his) performance has been very encouraging. Hopefully, he will be able to translate that into a good performance and help Malaysia progress in Aarhus.”

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