Whether Malaysian badminton brother Lee Zi Jia will join the "Road to Gold Medal" program will be announced at the end of this month

The answer to whether Malaysia's badminton men's singles brother Lee Zi Jia will accept the offer to join the "Road To Gold" (RTG) program will be revealed at the end of this month. Datuk Stuwar, coordinator of the "Road to Gold" program, said on the 8th that they had discussed with all 16 athletes invited to participate in the "Road to Gold" program, including squash players Wu Enyou and Siwa Sangari, who were all invited players to the "Road to Gold" program.

Malaysian badminton men's singles brother Lee Zi Jia

The programme aims to support Malaysian athletes to improve their performance and help Malaysia win its first Olympic gold medal at Los Angeles 2028.

However, Datuk Stuwart declined to comment on the interest of Zi Jia, who had declined to join the "Road to Gold" offer two years ago. The decision on whether Li Zijia and other athletes will participate in the program is expected to be announced in late May. "We are in communication with coaches and staff and expect to receive feedback and commitment by the end of May. Everything is going according to plan, so I don't think there will be any delays. "Negotiations are still ongoing, including with Lee Zi Jia, and for us, this is a process and I think these decisions require confirmation and cooperation from both sides," Datuk Stuwer said. ”

Previously, Malaysia's Minister of Youth and Sports, Yeo Haw Shuang, had explained that the government did not mandate any athletes to be selected or not to participate in the "Gold Medal Road" program. It is reported that RTG players need to abide by strict rules. If Lee or any athlete agrees to join the scheme, they will have to work harder, as the scheme has set stricter conditions to ensure that the goal of winning Malaysia's first Olympic gold medal can be achieved.

Athletes must always maintain a place in the top 10 in the world, and next year's requirements will become more challenging as they need to be in the top 8. By 2027, conditions will be even more stringent, with athletes having to qualify for the Olympics on merit and reach at least the top four in the world rankings, and must maintain that ranking throughout 2028.