BUKIT JELUTONG: Lee Zii Jia's possible return to the national badminton setup will likely be decided next week when the shuttler meets Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
While his return to Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM), which oversees the national shuttlers, is still in question, Zii Jia will definitely be part of the Road to Gold (RTG) programme.
Speculation is rife that BA of Malaysia (BAM) is prepared to open its doors to Zii Jia for a second stint.
RTG co-chairman Tan Sri Norza Zakaria, also the president of BAM, has pledged to fully back Zii Jia regardless of whether the shuttler returns to ABM.
"I will meet Zii Jia next week and update the media on it," said Yeoh after launching a FootGolf Malaysia event here today."
"We want to support gold-medal prospects in next year's Paris Olympics through RTG.
"In what shape, I can only comment after meeting Zii Jia.
When Zii Jia quit BAM in January last year, he claimed the decision was due to pressure and difficulty coping with the regimented training programme.
However, Zii Jia has not progressed accordingly, and the RTG programme may offer him solutions to excel.
Yeoh said RTG assistance would differ from one athlete to another.
"We will not have a set template for athletes under RTG. It will depend on the needs of those in the programme.
Media reports had earlier quoted Yeoh as saying she wanted to have a four-eyed meeting with the 25-year-old Zii Jia upon his return from Europe to help help him deal with his inconsistent performances.