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Zii Jia hints of incoming championship-winning coach
Lee Zii Jia and his team are in the midst of hiring a new coach for the former All-England champion, with the shuttler also confirming one candidate coached a champion before.
“We are speaking to a few candidates now, I will confirm the name once we have made a decision. For now, all I can confirm is that one of them has coached a champion before,” said Lee, who beat Ng Tze Yong 21-8, 18-21, 21-12 at the President’s Cup.
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The simulation tournament was to prepare Lee and the rest of the national contingent bound for the upcoming Sudirman Cup in Suzhou, China.
With the mixed team event also set to offer qualification points for next year’s Paris Olympics, Lee started taking progressive steps to get a full-time head coach onboard.
Right now, he is still being guided by the recently retired Liew Daren.
At the Sudirman Cup, Malaysia are grouped with India and Chinese Taipei, and Lee will most likely be fielded as the first men’s singles.
He will be faced with two tough oppositions if H.S.Prannoy and Chou Tien-chen also plays, with both shuttlers ranked in the world top 10.
Lee did not elaborate on the possibility of facing both, but assured that he will prepare to be in the best condition for the tournament.
Other results at the President’s Cup saw Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi beat Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik 21-13, 21-19, Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei defeat Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai 21-17, 17-21, 21-12 and Pearly Tan-M.Thinaah outclass Tan Wei Liang-Teoh Mei Xing 10-21, 21-18, 21-18.
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