KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 (NNN-Bernama) — Shuttler Lee Zii Jia has set a bold target of becoming the first Malaysian to win the elusive Olympic Games gold medal in Paris 2024.
Zii Jia, the current men’s world number four conveyed his wish to bring home the ultimate prize in the world’s biggest multi-sports games in France via his meeting with Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, earlier Saturday.
Hannah in a Facebook post said the current world number four shuttler, who was listed among 15 athletes under the ‘Road to Gold’ (RTG) as announced Friday, supported the initiative and was grateful to make the cut for the programme.
“Lee Zii Jia told me he really wants that first gold medal in Paris 2024 for the country. It was a positive meeting. This is what I want to hear from our athletes, it starts with that desire for gold,” she said.
RTG Coordinator Stuart Ramalingam was also present during the meeting.
As such, Hannah said Stuart will further discuss with Zii Jia’s agent on the details of his commitment to RTG which will include coaching and sparring coordination.
Apart from the 25 year-old shuttler, five other representatives from badminton are listed for the RTG programme, namely men’s doubles world champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik; national number one women’s pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah and three professional pairs – Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing (mixed); Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai Jemie (mixed) and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi (men).
The other athletes under the RTG programme are track cycling ace Mohd Azizulhasni Awang, his teammate Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom, divers Pandelela Rinong and Nur Dhabitah Sabri.
The 2024 Olympic Games is slated from July 26 to Aug 11, next year.
Former Malaysian Lee Chong Wei made it to three consecutive men’s singles finals at the Olympics but ended with three consecutive silver medals in (2008, 2012, 2016).
— NNN-BERNAMA