BAM won't consider Zii Jia for BATC

KUALA LUMPUR: Independents Lee Zii Jia, Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzuddin Rumsani will not be considered for the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) as BAM prioritises broader squad objectives over star power.

Malaysia will compete in the BATC in Qingdao, China from Feb 3-8, with BAM secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh indicating that selection decisions are shaped by long-term planning rather than short-term reliance on established names.

"For the BATC, I don't think so for Zii Jia and Sze Fei-Izzuddin. But maybe for the Thomas Cup," said Kenny.

Kenny suggested that Malaysia are confident of navigating the Asian team event and are therefore looking at exposing second stringers to a continental team event.

"We need to look at exposure for other players for the Thomas Cup."

The men's team have been drawn in Group D alongside Indonesia and Myanmar, with Indonesia shaping as Malaysia's toughest early test.

"Because we are not seeded, we will have to face a seeded team in the knockout round. Indonesia are one of them, so we have to play them.

"I believe we will send the best. For singles, we will send the best available. For doubles, there may still be discussions," said Kenny.

The men's team include world No. 2 doubles Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and world No. 5 Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun.

BAM may also consider fielding second-string pairs such as world No. 17 Arif Junaidi-Yap Roy King or world No. 33 Haikal Nazri-Choong Hon Jian to gain experience.

In contrast, the women's team face a more straightforward path in Group W, where they have been drawn with China. With only two teams in the group, Malaysia are guaranteed a place in the knockout stage and will also avoid the Asian giants in the quarter-finals.

The Malaysian men won the BATC title in 2022 but the women's team are still chasing a first final appearance, with their best performances being semi-final finishes in 2020 and 2022.