KUALA LUMPUR: Lee Zii Jia's availability for this year's Thomas Cup in Chengdu, China, remains uncertain.
However, the 26-year-old could have a change of heart depending on his performance in this week's Asian Championships (BAC) in Ningbo, China.
Last week, Zii Jia informed the BA of Malaysia (BAM) that he might skip the Thomas Cup on April 27-May 5 to focus on his preparation for the Paris Olympics in July.
The world No. 11 hopes to break into the top eight for a seeding in Paris.
The closing date to finalise the squad list for the Thomas Cup is April 13.
'It is important to note that for many, the Asian meet this week is the final tournament to book their Olympic berths.
Zii Jia may have already secured his spot, but moving up the world rankings won't be easy as the BAC men's singles draw looks challenging from the beginning.
Zii Jia plays India's Priyanshu Rajawat in the first round and will face Taiwan's Chou Tien Chen or China's Weng Hong Yang in the second.
In the event Zii Jia does not perform well at the BAC and decides to skip the Thomas Cup, the Kedah-born could risk burning out as he will need to compete in five back-to-back tournaments (Thailand Open, Malaysia Masters, Singapore Open, Indonesia Open, and Australian Open) between May and June to achieve his top-eight target.
It is not too late, and Team LZJ are definitely aware of this.
Malaysia are in Group D in the Thomas Cup with European champions Denmark, Hong Kong, and Algeria.
Zii Jia could earn valuable world ranking points if he plays and beats Denmark's world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen and Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu in the Thomas Cup.