IT is time for Lee Zii Jia, Malaysia’s highest ranked men’s singles shuttler at World No 17, to shine and improve ahead of next year’s Tokyo Olympics.
National men’s singles coach Misbun Sidek hopes Zii Jia will make inroads at next week’s Indonesia Open in Jakarta.
The BWF Super 1000 tournament has attracted the best players and pairs.
“A player should focus on his performance, not the world rankings.
“Of course, I would be proud if any of my players are ranked in the world’s top 10 one day, but I’d rather help the players reach their full potential.
“The Indonesia Open is a good test for Zii Jia. It is an avenue for the shuttler to show off his true colours,” said Misbun.
Zia Jii will open his campaign against Thailand’s Khosit Phetpradab in the first round.
If the Malaysian wins, he will likely face reigning Olympic champion Chen Long of China in the next round.
World No 2 Shi Yuqi of China is also in the same half of the draw.
“Zii Jia needs to have the self-belief that he can beat top players.
“A player will never be a World No 1 or an Olympic champion if he is unable to beat the best.
“It is time for Zii Jia to learn from his experiences and step up,” Misbun added.
After the Indonesia Open, the 21-year-old will play in the Japan Open (July 23-28) in Tokyo and the Thailand Open (July 30-Aug 4) in Bangkok.