Kuala lumpur: After a challenging year, professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has announced that he will be using the remainder of the year to focus on recovery and preparation for the 2026 season. Zii Jia, who has been out of action since September, reflected on the ups and downs of the year, particularly a learning curve when it comes to managing his physical health.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Zii Jia has been candid about the challenges he faced with his physical condition. “There are days when I feel on top of the world and there are days when I feel the effects of coming back from that ankle injury and the nagging back pain,” he shared. Since his last competitive match at the China Masters in September, Zii Jia and his team have collaborated closely with medical experts to ensure he can compete at his best in the future.

Zii Jia’s team had announced that the shuttler was advised by a medical expert to undergo an extensive rehabilitation programme for persistent low back pain after he pulled out of the third game against Taiwan’s Lin Chun-Yi in the opening round of the China Masters 2025. He subsequently missed several tournaments, including defending his Australian Open 2025 title last week.

In addition to focusing on recovery, Zii Jia has discovered a new passion for art. He expressed gratitude for the support he has received, saying, “To say that it has been a rollercoaster of a year physically and emotionally would be an understatement, but there has also been a lot of discovery about myself, who knew that art is something that I am fond of.”

Zii Jia extended his thanks to his family, friends, team, sponsors, and fans, stating, “My thanks goes out to a lot of people, my family, friends, my team, my sponsors who is in my corner since day one and of course, the fans who I look forward to seeing again soon.” Despite the challenges, the former All England 2021 champion remains motivated and eager to return to the court next year.