KUALA LUMPUR – In the wake of the controversy that erupted in the Asian Games mixed zone yesterday, Team LZJ has rallied to the defence of Lee Zii Jia, addressing allegations of him prematurely ending an interview following his defeat to South Korea’s Jeon Hyeok Jin in the men’s team badminton event.
A statement issued today by Team LZJ refuted reports suggesting that the 16th-ranked shuttler intentionally curtailed the interview, contrary to what several Malaysian media outlets have claimed.
The official statement, shared on their Twitter account, set the record straight regarding Zii Jia’s conduct during the post-match interview.
Team LZJ including Lee Zii Jia has always had respect to the nation’s media as an important entity that has helped shape Lee Zii Jia as a person and his career as an athlete.
— Team LZJ (@TeamLZJ) September 29, 2023
Team LZJ has always tried to the best of our abilities to accommodate the country’s media.
The statement highlighted that Zii Jia adhered to the stipulated time limit of one and a half to two minutes, as dictated by the Games’ organisers.
“The recent reports by certain Malaysian media outlets have left Team LZJ deeply disappointed,” the statement read.
“These reports alleged that Team LZJ and Lee Zii Jia were responsible for creating a controversy by abruptly concluding the post-match interview that took place on Thursday after his match for Team Malaysia in Hangzhou.”
The statement underscored the team’s commitment to professionalism and its belief that the incident at the mixed zone fell within the jurisdiction of the Asian Games organisers, rather than being instigated by the team.
Expressing their discontent with the media’s portrayal of the former All-England champion, Team LZJ accused certain outlets of tarnishing the player’s reputation.
“Team LZJ, along with Zii Jia, holds the nation’s media in high esteem, recognising their significant role in both his personal growth and career as an athlete,” the statement continued.
“We have consistently strived to accommodate the country’s media to the best of our abilities, providing insights into our performances, even when the outcomes are not in our favour.”
The statement acknowledged the importance of constructive criticism in the realm of high-performance sports and assured that Team LZJ was no stranger to accepting critiques of their play.
“Nevertheless, at this juncture, we believe we have endured an unwarranted character assassination through reports concerning Zii Jia.”
Yesterday, Zii Jia was in the midst of responding to a question during the mixed zone interview, when an official intervened, leading to the premature conclusion of the session and leaving journalists who were present dumbfounded.
The unfortunate string of events extended beyond Zii Jia’s match, as Malaysia suffered a 3-1 loss to South Korea in the Round of 16, with defeats for Tze Yong and the doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi contributing to the team’s disappointing outcome.
Malaysia’s next quest in the badminton category are the individual events that are scheduled to kick off on Monday. – September 29, 2023