KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — After a challenging year, professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia has announced that he will be using the remainder of the year to focus on recovery and preparation for the 2026 season.

Lee, who has been out of action since September, reflected on the ups and downs of the year, particularly a learning curve when it comes to managing his physical health.

“There are days when I feel on top of the world and there are days when I feel the effects of coming back from that ankle injury and the nagging back pain.

“Since my last competitive match at the China Masters in September, my team and I have been working closely with medical experts on how to best move forward in ensuring that I am able to compete to the best of my abilities,” he said posted on Instagram.

Lee’s team had announced that the shuttler was advised by a medical expert to undergo an extensive rehabilitation programme for persistent low back pain after he pulled out of the third game against Taiwan’s Lin Chun-Yi in the opening round of the China Masters 2025.

Lee subsequently missed several tournaments, including defending his Australian Open 2025 last week but has admitted to having found a new love for art.

“To say that it has been a rollercoaster of a year physically and emotionally would be an understatement, but there has also been a lot of discovery about myself, who knew that art is something that I am fond of.

“My thanks goes out to a lot of people, My family, friends, my team, my sponsors who is in my corner since day one and of course, the fans who I look forward to seeing again soon,” he said.

The former All England 2021 champion said he remained motivated and spirited to return to the court next year. — Bernama