TURNING professional in modern sports is nothing new as athletes find it more lucrative through sponsorship and endorsement deals by being independent.
In badminton, most shuttlers in Europe are professionals, but the concept in Asia is still very new as most players come under full-time training programmes.
In Malaysia, several players had turned professional over the years, but none really made a mark after leaving the BA of Malaysia (BAM). But these players were already past their prime or were dropped from the national body.
When Lee Zii Jia decided to resign from BAM, the national body were initially taken aback by the decision.
That is because the world No 7 is still at his peak and has many more years to develop himself into a world or Olympic champion one day.
But what prompted Zii Jia to make this rather bold decision? Maybe, he felt he could not go further under BAM coaches and wanted to try a new avenue to make inroads in the sport.
Furthermore, world No 1 Viktor Axelsen had invited Zii Jia to train with him and Singapore's world champion Loh Kean Yew in Dubai.
However, it is also understood that a sports company had offered him a seven-year contract with an annual sponsorship of US$400,000 (RM1.674 million) to turn pro.
While BAM have now given their blessing to Zii Jia to turn pro, time will tell whether the Malaysian will develop into a world-beater and win prestigious titles without the assistance of the national body.
Almost every Malaysian professional shuttler has failed, so if Zii Jia does well, it could change the face of badminton in the country.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) sports centre head Dr Hanafiah Ayub has a strong opinion on Zii Jia and his decision to leave BAM.
"Zii Jia has a limited amount of time at the top and thus should be allowed to pursue his goals as long as he does not neglect his responsibility to the country," Hanafiah told Timesport yesterday.
Though initially banned for two years by BAM, the national body are expected to take a softer stand following Zii Jia's appeal on Monday.
Zii Jia met Tan Sri Norza Zakaria on Monday, in which the BAM president gave the player his blessing to turn pro.
The BAM council will make an announcement next week in regard to Zii Jia's suspension.
However, indications are that Zii Jia's suspension may be lifted as the shuttler is willing to lead Malaysia at next month's Asian Team Championships in Selangor.
"It is not easy to discuss this case as there are many factors that are not clear. For example, to what extent Zii Jia is legally bound to BAM?
"In some sports, the parents play a bigger role in the development of their children rather than the association.
"I don't really understand why BAM would want to suspend him for two years as this would clearly fracture their relationship.
"As an athlete, however, Zii Jia will surely have goals that he would like to achieve, and if those goals are in line with that of the nation, I don't see why he should be stopped.
"It is different in other sports such as golf (where careers last longer), but as a badminton player, Zii Jia will likely only have five to seven peak years, and maybe he feels that he now wants to take his career to the next level.
"He may feel that he could achieve better results as a pro.
"There are plenty of professional athletes who still return to represent the national team during competitions such as the Sea Games and so on, so it doesn't mean he has to stop representing the country.
"We have to respect Zii Jia, BAM and also the public's views on this matter. If Zii Jia can turn pro without neglecting his duties to the country, we should support him."