KUALA LUMPUR: Independent shuttler Lee Zii Jia has to sign a commitment agreement with the Road to Gold (RTG) programme by Nov 14 if he wants to remain a part of it.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh said Zii Jia was the only athlete in the programme who has yet to sign the agreement.
RTG was launched in March and the first group of athletes, including Zii Jia, were selected in April.
"The contract is to say that they (athletes) are agreeable to be admitted into RTG," Yeoh said after a RTG committee meeting in Bukit Jalil today.
"And as an exchange for the benefits and services provided to them, the athletes also have to play their part, which includes updating and cooperating with us.
"We are committed to helping them, but they also must have some kind of commitment to the government.
"I would really appreciate it if Zii Jia can make that (signing agreement) a priority within the next two weeks.
"He has to get it done as soon as possible because all the other athletes, including Pandelela Rinong and Azizulhasni Awang, have already signed it."
Despite having yet to sign the agreement, RTG coordinator Stuart Ramalingam confirmed that Zii Jia has already been rendered sports science support twice through the programme.
"Additional funding and allowances stipulated (under the agreement) will only be provided once he has signed the agreement," said Stuart.
"We have already contacted him through various means, including email and text message, and we understand that he is busy. We hope that he will sign the agreement when he is back in Malaysia."
RTG is an elite athlete preparation programme intended to provide cream-of-the-crop athletes the additional support they need to challenge for gold in Paris next year, Los Angeles 2028 and other major international competitions.
In addition to sport science, competition exposure and coaching support, athletes under RTG also receive an additional allowance of RM3,000 a month.