KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 — National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen has welcomed the return of Lee Zii Jia to competitive badminton, describing the professional men’s singles shuttler as a ‘star’ who brings something special to the sport.

Saying he would not assess Zii Jia’s performances following his recent tournament appearances, Jonassen admitted that seeing the former All England champion back on court was a positive sign for Malaysian badminton.

“It’s not my job to comment on his performances. What I would say as a fan is that it’s good to see him back. He is a star in this game and brings something extra.

“I think we all got chills when he entered the stadium in the recent Malaysia Open, with all the fans showing their respect for what he has achieved,” he told reporters when met after the training session here today.

On January 6, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games bronze medallist made his long-awaited return to competition after a 111-day hiatus, only to face bitter disappointment as he crashed out in the opening round after losing 12-21, 17-21 to India’s Ayush Shetty.

The former Asian champion then suffered the same fate in last week’s India Open - being shown the exit after losing 13-21, 21-18, 18-21 to Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke.

Zii Jia, however, showed some promising signs as he snapped a 10-month winless run to reach the second round of the ongoing Indonesia Masters by seeing off India’s H.S. Prannoy 21-19, 21-11 on Wednesday (January 21).

The Kedahan’s campaign in the Super 500 tournament, however, came to an end after losing 21-15, 17-21, 8-21 to Thailand’s Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul at Istora Senayan in Jakarta.

The 27-year-old Zii Jia has been plagued by injuries since hurting his ankle at the World Tour Finals in December 2024, before returning to action at the Orleans Masters and All England last March.

With the ankle injury still giving him problems, Zii Jia had no choice but to take another break before returning to competitive action at the World Championships in Paris last August.

In September, he featured in the Hong Kong Open before withdrawing from the first round of the China Masters due to a back injury.

He then decided to take a complete rest and to focus on full recovery.

Looking ahead to the Thomas Cup 2026 in Horsens, Denmark, from April 24-May 3, Jonassen said Zii Jia’s return has increased Malaysia’s options.

The 51-year-old Jonassen was, however, quick to emphasise that success in the team event will depend on more than just Zii Jia’s star power. — Bernama