PM says Zii Jia-BAM issue 'all sorted' after meeting

 

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the matter between ace shuttler Lee Zii Jia and the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has been “all sorted”.

This comes after he held a meeting with Lee and the top BAM leadership in his office today.

“It was a beneficial discussion. Alhamdulillah, it is all sorted.

“May the country’s badminton continue to excel on the world stage, and may the Jalur Gemilang fly high again abroad,” Ismail said in a Facebook posting today.

He did not elaborate on the details of the meeting nor how the issue was sorted.

Lee had submitted his resignation to BAM on Jan 11 after the association could not agree to his request to choose his own coaches, plan tournament schedules on his own and decide on sponsorship.

In response, BAM had decided to impose a two-year ban from international tournaments on Lee.

All major badminton tournaments are organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Only players assigned by their respective national badminton bodies can participate in such tournaments.

Public outcry ensued over Lee’s treatment, although there was also a significant number who backed BAM’s decision, arguing that to concede would result in opening the floodgates for other players – many of whom BAM trained since young – to do the same and causing BAM to lose its sponsorship income.

However, two days ago, Lee said in an Instagram post that BAM president Norza Zakaria had given his “blessing” for the former to turn professional.

It is uncertain if this means that BAM has officially rescinded its decision not to register Lee in international tournaments for two years. - Mkini