Lee Zii Jia facts
Badminton is a sport that Malaysians will never fail to rally around whenever game days are around the corner. The All England Open Badminton Championships final match on 21st March 2021, and the bronze medal playoff on 5th August 2024, saw historic wins for Malaysia’s own Lee Zii Jia, were no different.
With all eyes on the shuttler through his career highs and lows, we’ve rounded up 11 facts about Lee Zii Jia – from how he prefers not to be compared to Lee Chong Wei, to his hidden passion for music and basketball.
Table of Contents
- Lee Zii Jia facts
- 1. Lee Zii Jia was born in Alor Setar, Kedah
- 2. He started playing badminton at 6 years old
- 3. He doesn’t want to be compared to Lee Chong Wei
- 4. He loves music and enjoys singing in his free time
- 5. He suffered several setbacks before clinching the All England Open title
- 6. He loves playing basketball when he’s not training
- 7. He is the first Malaysian to win the All England title since 2017
- 8. He is ranked number 7 in BWF’s World Ranking list
- 9. He has a bromance with fellow shuttler Soh Wooi Yik
- 10. He loves Korean food and hates running
- 11. He announced a temporary break from badminton in 2023
1. Lee Zii Jia was born in Alor Setar, Kedah
Image credit: @leeziijia via Instagram
Lee is a born-and-bred Malaysian, born on 29th March 1998 in Alor Setar, Kedah. He attended SMJK Keat Hwa while growing up, and was even childhood rivals with Loh Kean Yew – a well-known, Penang-born Singaporean shuttler – whom he often met up with for badminton matches when they were just 11 years old.
2. He started playing badminton at 6 years old
Image credit: @leeziijia via Instagram
Lee started playing professional badminton at 12 years old, winning his first international title not long after at 19 – a bronze medal for the Victor Polish International 2017 championship.
But the Kedah-born athlete actually began playing at the young age of 6 for health reasons, after his dad brought him to a badminton club. He then decided to make a career out of it, as he shared with Olympic Channel.
3. He doesn’t want to be compared to Lee Chong Wei
Image credit: @leechongweiofficial via Instagram
It’s hard not to compare Lee to Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who is well-known for making Malaysians proud with his accomplishments as a badminton men’s singles player. But Lee seeks to forge his own path, sharing with the Olympic Channel in 2019 that, “I don’t want to become like Lee Chong Wei”, preferring to be who he is and focusing on what he can do as a badminton player in his own right.
Nonetheless, he respects Datuk Lee Chong Wei and considers him one of his role models. His “never give up” spirit on the court is something that Lee seeks to replicate. Lee also has the former badminton player on speed dial, sharing that Datuk Lee Chong Wei is always up for a call or meet-up – and with helpful advice that he keeps around as a mantra while he’s on the court.
4. He loves music and enjoys singing in his free time
Image adapted from: @leeziijia via Instagram
While already leading a career as a shuttler, Lee enjoys several hobbies while he’s not on the court – including playing the guitar, singing and rapping. He regularly updates his followers on Instagram with song covers that show off his vocal and musical skills. He also has several Instagram stories highlights showcasing his rapping skills in both Malay and Chinese.
In an interview with New Straits Times, he shared that he was 15 years old when he was inspired to play the guitar by a lead guitarist in Korean pop-rock band, CNBLUE.
5. He suffered several setbacks before clinching the All England Open title
In 2019, Lee took to his Instagram page to share that he was facing financial difficulties and issues with training, while apologising for his poor performance during tournaments, as reported by The Star.
In an interview with Olympic Channel, he shared that he is still young and lacking in experience. He also admitted that he felt the pressure and blame when people asked him why he can’t be or win like Lee Chong Wei, citing that he didn’t handle the comparisons well and buckled under the scrutiny initially.
6. He loves playing basketball when he’s not training
Image adapted from: @leeziijia via Instagram
Another hobby of his is playing basketball. According to The Star, his parents – Leow Siet Peng and Lee Chee Hin – are ex-national basketball players who now coach a basketball team in Alor Setar, which is why he often plays basketball during his time off.
His favourite basketball team is the Los Angeles Lakers, while Lebron James and the late Kobe Bryant are some of his favourite players.
7. He is the first Malaysian to win the All England title since 2017
Image credit: @leeziijia via Instagram
All eyes were fixed on Lee after his victory in the All England Badminton Championships men’s singles match, with an impressive win against Viktor Axelsen of Denmark. It’s not without good reason, as Lee is the first Malaysian to bag the title after Lee Chong Wei in 2017.
Lee’s win also marks a comeback after he lost to Axelsen in 2020 in the semi-finals of the same tournament. He was congratulated by fellow athletes Lee Chong Wei and Nicol David on social media on the win.
8. He is ranked number 7 in BWF’s World Ranking list
Image adapted from: @leeziijia via Instagram
Lee is currently the only Malaysian shuttler in the Top 10 world ranking list of badminton men’s singles players, according to Badminton World Federation. It’s an impressive feat for Lee, who currently places at number 7 as of 5th August 2024, with 22 tournaments played.
9. He has a bromance with fellow shuttler Soh Wooi Yik
Image credit: @leeziijia via Instagram, @sohwooiyik via Instagram
Lee and fellow shuttler Soh Wooi Yik have been the best of mates since 2011. They often share heartfelt messages for each other on their Instagram accounts – case in point, when Soh shared a meaningful birthday post calling Lee the one he could “trust with my whole heart” and someone who always “know how to make me feel better”.
For 13 years and counting, these shuttlers have been sticking by each other through every high and low. Lee even shared a post in support for Soh in March 2022, saying that he has Soh’s back.
Their friendship off-court was formed when Lee and Soh used to play doubles when they were younger, competing together in tournaments like the 2012 Asian Youth Under-15 Championships and 2014 National Junior Grand Prix Finals.
10. He loves Korean food and hates running
Image adapted from: BWF TV / YouTube
In an interview with Badminton World Federation (BWF), Lee showed that he’s just like any other Gen Z on the block despite regular training routines as a professional athlete. When asked what his go-to cheat meal was, he answered Korean food – specifically barbecued pork belly. And while he trains hard to keep in shape, he also admitted that he hates running.
As he’s passionate about music, he also shared in the same interview that he listens to a lot of Chinese and English music before he sleeps and must have headphones around whenever he travels.
11. He announced a temporary break from badminton in 2023
Image credit: @leeziijia via Instagram
In June 2023, Lee shocked the nation with his unexpected announcement to temporarily quit badminton. He revealed that he needed to regain his 100% focus on the court, something he had struggled with since his last tournament at the Super 100 Indonesian Open, as reported by New Straits Times.
Lee shared with the Badminton World Federation that he “will take a break and get rest for a while”, explaining that a legal battle with his former coach, Indira Wijaya, had drained his dedication and motivation. In February 2024, it was reported that Lee and Wijaya had reached an off-the-court agreement over Wijaya’s alleged unfair dismissal by Lee’s management team in November 2022.
With the lawsuit now behind him, the world no. 7 has since stormed back onto the badminton scene, reigniting his passion and focus for the Paris 2024 Olympics. He is currently the last man standing for Malaysia’s badminton team to clinch the second bronze medal, after a thrilling semifinal clash against Thailand’s Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
Facts about Lee Zii Jia, Malaysia’s men’s singles shuttler
These facts about Lee Zii Jia show that despite several setbacks and constant pressure from the public, he’s proven himself to be a capable young athlete who’s making Malaysians proud of our local talents.
We’re looking forward to cheering him on in future tournaments and matches, and hope to see more victories from him.
You might also be interested in learning more about fellow badminton shuttlers, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik and Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan.
Cover image adapted from: @leeziijia via Instagram, @leeziijia via Instagram
This article was first published on 22nd March 2021, and last updated on 5th August 2024 by Yusintha.