PETALING JAYA, June 3 — Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has expressed hope that professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia will accept the offer to join the Road to Gold (RTG) programme in preparation for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles (LA28).
Hannah said that she met with the Paris 2024 men’s singles bronze medallist last week to discuss the benefits of the RTG initiative, particularly its expanded support for independent athletes.
“We do hope to offer the Road to Gold services to Zii Jia. I hope that he will say yes, because there is nothing to lose.
“The final decision lies with Zii Jia, and I am confident he will consider all factors,” she told reporters at the Daikin International Badminton Championship 2025 here today.
Last April, the RTG Committee named Zii Jia, reigning Badminton Asia Championships men’s doubles champions Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and 10 other badminton players for the RTG programme ahead of LA28.
Zii Jia, ranked world number eight, had previously declined a spot in the RTG programme during the Paris 2024 cycle.
The three non-badminton athletes listed in RTG for the LA28 cycle are track cyclists Muhammad Shah Firdaus Sahrom and Nurul Izzah Izzati Mohd Asri, along with weightlifter Mohamad Aniq Kasdan.
Hannah said the final list of RTG members for LA28 is expected to be known by the end of June.
She said that the timing is due to the athletes’ busy travel schedules, as they are frequently away for tournaments.
“We want to gather all of them who have said yes, so that we have that signing together,” she said.
LA28 is slated to be held from July 14 to 30, 2028. — Bernama
