How Wong Tat Meng Is Training a New Generation of Coaches

Former national badminton coach Wong Tat Meng has some advice for Lee Zii Jia as the shuttler struggles to find his footing. He is urging the 27-year-old to clear his head and get his confidence back .

A tough road to recovery

It has been a rough patch for Zii Jia. After missing most of last season due to a foot injury, his world ranking has dropped to number 84. This means he now has to fight through qualifying rounds just to enter international tournaments. Recently, he missed out on the main draw of the Orleans Masters in France after losing to China's Dong Tianyao .

Carrying too much weight

Wong, who used to coach the former All-England champion, feels that Zii Jia is playing like he's carrying a heavy burden. He noticed that even though Zii Jia is working hard, he isn't moving with his usual speed and seems to be "overthinking" every single shot. Wong believes Zii Jia needs to stop worrying about the pressure and just find his rhythm on the court again .

Looking ahead

Even though Wong is still recovering from a motorcycle accident last year, he is staying active in the sport through his work at the Roketto Badminton Club in Sydney. He is hopeful that Zii Jia can steady his game and get back in form before the Thomas Cup Finals in Denmark next month .

Beyond helping individual players, Wong is also focused on the bigger picture: training a new generation of badminton coaches to help grow the sport .