One of Lee Zii Jia’s biggest targets for the remainder of the year is to capture the BWF World Championships title and be crowned the country’s first world champion.
In order to achieve that, the Asian and Thailand Open champion knows he needs to prioritise his participation in a looming grueling fixture list.
First, there is the Indonesia Masters (June 7-12), followed by the Indonesia Open (June 14-19), Malaysia Open (June 28-July 3), Malaysia Masters (July 5-10) and Singapore Open (July 12-17).
In order to be in optimum condition for the World Championships (August 21-28), Lee knows he cannot risk any setbacks.
“My target is the World Championships. I have discussed this with my coach and we are planning my preparations towards it.
“All the tournaments are close, and it depends on my condition too. From the five upcoming tournaments, I could even pull out from one,” he said.
The world number five is seeded fifth at the Indonesia Masters and will face Thailand’s Kantaphon Wangcharoen.
Should he win, Lee could face Kantaphon’s team-mate Kunvalut Vitidsarn or Anthony Ginting as early as the quarter-finals.
Lee may also look to preserve his energy for the Malaysia Open and the Malaysia Masters, both expected to be a full house at the Axiata Arena.
“The vibe playing on your home turf is going to be different, and I am looking forward to competing at the Axiata Arena,” he added.
But all roads eventually lead to the world spectacle scheduled in Tokyo.
In last year’s affair, Lee had to retire in his quarter-finals match against Anders Antonsen after suffering a blister that turned bloody in the third game.
But he improved significantly since then, with two titles to his name and two semi-finals showings at the German and All-England Open.
