Ong urges Zii Jia to focus on rebuilding career amid family court dispute
Ong Ewe Hock urges Lee Zii Jia to focus on badminton after his Arctic Open semi-final run amid a High Court legal dispute with his family.
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Former international Ong Ewe Hock has urged Lee Zii Jia to stay focused on rebuilding his badminton career despite a High Court dispute involving his family. His advice follows the world No. 42’s run to the Arctic Open semi-finals in Vantaa, Finland.
Zii Jia has applied for an interim injunction against his father, Lee Chee Hin, sister Lee Zii Yii, and brother Lee Tao. He is seeking to prevent them from approving financial benefits for themselves or making key corporate decisions without court approval at the family-run LZJ Management Sdn Bhd, in which he holds a 90 per cent stake.
Encouraging signs in Finland
“Put aside personal issues and just focus on his career,” Ewe Hock said. He believes the independent shuttler showed signs of improvement at the Super 500 tournament, where he beat French world No. 4 Christo Popov in straight games.
Zii Jia then battled for 87 minutes before losing his semi-final to eventual winner Anders Antonsen. Ewe Hock, a former three-time Malaysia Open champion, said he had not seen Zii Jia play with such intensity and focus in recent times.
“I believe Zii Jia is playing with confidence,” Ewe Hock said. “The high level of intensity and temperament were missing from his game, and that was good to see in Finland.”
Ewe Hock also pointed to the length of the Antonsen match as a sign of improved physical condition. He said Zii Jia’s standard had always been there, but that maintaining his form would be important if he is to end a title drought dating back to the 2024 Australian Open.
Focus on what comes next
Ewe Hock said sustained performances could also help Zii Jia qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He acknowledged the unpredictability of men’s singles, citing injury struggles for China’s former world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi and the recent revival of current world No. 1 Kunlavut Vitidsarn.
For Zii Jia, Ewe Hock’s message was to build on his momentum rather than allow the legal dispute to distract him. “Zii Jia has had two years of injury issues,” he said. “Now he needs full focus and must push harder to achieve his goals.”
Zii Jia’s next scheduled competition is the Hylo Open in Saarbrucken, from Oct 25 to Nov 1.
Source: NST 羽球. This article was compiled by the iBET.news newsroom from the source report and other public information.
