Ignore noises, prioritise building financial independence, Zee Jia

Ignore noises, prioritise building financial independence, Zee Jia




RADICAL as it may sound, there is sometimes limit to patriotism insofar as many former Malaysian sportsmen and sportswomen can attest.

This writer wonders if this is just a Malaysian phenomenon that after slogging for countless days, weeks, months and years in search of glory for one’s motherland, one can find himself/herself deserted in the brink of severe financial hardship as Koh Lee Peng – the Malaysian Female Paralympic of 2016 at the Penang State Sports Awards in 2017 – can testify.

Despite excelling with seven gold and three silver medals representing Malaysia at the ASEAN Para Games from 2001 to 2005, the 48-year-old former Paralympic swimmer was recently spotted wheelchair-bound donning a ‘Harimau Malaya’ polo T-shirt selling tissue covers in Bukit Bintang (Kuala Lumpur) to support herself.

Pitted against such a pathetic prospect, badminton fans cannot fault national shuttler Lee Zee Jia for quitting the sports body umbrella body Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) on Jan 11.

This is even if Zee Jia has attributed his decision to the immense pressure he was under to perform.

Rumours abound that the reigning All-England champion is in talks with a Taiwanese sports equipment company with the intention of signing up the 22-year-old national badminton ace for five years with an annual contract worth US$400,000 (RM1.674 mil).

This is after the resurrected Kuala Lumpur Racket Club (KLRC) denied rumours that Zii Jia is heading there on the prospect of a whopping amount to the tune of seven figures.

Recall that former national women’s shuttler Goh Jin Wei who quit BAM in September last year due to health concerns has since signed a three-year contract with KLRC earlier this month.

Bearing in mind the hardship many former national sportsmen and sportswomen have endured in their twilight years – Lee Peng’s case is merely the tip of the iceberg – Zee Jia should be bold enough to follow the money trail but obviously not to the extent of trading off his entire sense of patriotism.

He must not only stay vigilant all the time that that the grass may not be greener on the other side but more importantly, the world is filled with deception of sorts. Above all else, money (and having lots of it) is never a guarantee to happiness.

He can choose to emulate his so-called idol/mentor Datuk Lee Chong Wei who has been reputed to be financially-sound even after hanging his racquet in June 2019 – with 69 BWF title under his belt and being the World No. 1 for 349 weeks, including a 199-week streak (August 21, 2008, to June 14, 2012).

Aside from property development, Chong Wei has been very much sought after as brand ambassador inside and outside the realm of badminton.

World No. 1 Viktor Axelsen has taken to the social media to sum up Zee Jia’s decision mostly aptly:

***



Viktor Axelsen

@ViktorAxelsen

If a player (in this case LZJ) feels it’s best for him to follow another path where he is more independent as a player, then that is what he should do IMO. It’s his career and his life after all.

***

BAM president Tan Sri Norza Zakaria says the decision regarding Zii Jia’s departure from the national association will be announced at 4pm today at the Bukit Kiara Sports Complex in Kuala Lumpur. – Jan 21, 2022