[Saba Sports News] On April 14, the Malaysian badminton team held their final training session at the Badminton Academy of Malaysia. Afterwards, the team will fly to Denmark for a 10-day training camp to prepare for the Thomas & Uber Cup, which kicks off on April 25. According to the Thomas Cup schedule, Malaysia has been drawn in Group B. The team will open their campaign against England in their first group match on April 25. Following a one-day break, they will face Finland on April 27, and after another rest day, take on group favorites Japan in their final group match on April 29.At the airport, Malaysia’s coach Daren Liew spoke to the media, stating that training has been progressing smoothly, the intensity has been gradually increased, and the players are in good physical condition. However, Liew also admitted that Lee Zii Jia’s fitness is yet to peak, but is on a positive upward trajectory, currently at around 70% to 80%. The team will continue to push high-intensity training this week, aiming for him to reach 100% by the start of the tournament.Regarding Lee Zii Jia’s previous injuries, Liew pointed out that the affected areas were his ankle and Achilles tendon, but they have now largely recovered. He plans to field Lee consecutively in the group stage matches to use competition as training, as Lee has competed relatively little recently and needs to regain his match rhythm as soon as possible.
In my opinion, although Lee Zii Jia’s fitness recovery has been slow and uneven, he has rebounded significantly from a low point of just 50% to a level where he can handle high-intensity training and compete. Now on a positive track, he is expected to play a key role for Malaysia in the Thomas Cup.