Lee Zii Jia

Fearless on and off the court, Malaysian badminton superstar Lee Zii Jia became a household name after being crowned All England champ in 2021, which saw him rise to number 10 in the world rankings. Other notable triumphs include clinching the gold at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games and the 2022 Asian Championships.

Lee started playing badminton when he was six years old, after his father, a former basketball player, introduced him to the game. Finding that he excelled at the sport, he entered and won several under-12 competitions and was subsequently drafted into the Bukit Jalil Sports School. He has been trained by various coaches including former national badminton champions Datuk Misbun Sidek and Datuk Tey Seu Bock.

In January 2022, Lee made headlines when he decided to leave the national squad to pursue a career as an independent, gaining support from his hero Datuk Lee Chong Wei and reigning champ Victor Axelsen, who also parted ways with his own national team following his win at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

At Paris 2024, Lee staged a dramatic comeback and made Malaysia proud when he defeated India’s Lakshya Sen and secured a bronze medal for the country. But not one to rest on his laurels, he’s determined to come back stronger and aim for the gold medal at the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028.