Over the weekend, all eyes were on national player Lee Zii Jia after a clip of his match at the 2019 Korea Open badminton championship went viral.

Zii Jia was paired against the current world number one badminton player, Japan’s Kento Momota.

In the 27-second clip, the 21-year-old badminton player served a powerful backhand smash that not only stunned viewers, but Momota himself too.

The Japanese national player can also be seen gasping in awe (or probably in disbelief) after Zii Jia returned his serve not once but twice with a backhand smash.

The commentators were also very impressed with Zii Jia’s performance.

Zii Jia’s performance may be captivating, but it wasn’t enough to secure him a spot in the semi-finals after losing 15-21, 19-21.

However, Malaysia’s current no.1 singles player left a lasting impression on Malaysians.

Lee Zii Jia, you caught our attention. Remember the name, Malaysians!
Many rooted for him and deemed him to be the perfect candidate to fill in Lee Chong Wei’s legendary shoes.

Take a look at what Malaysians had to say about him:

Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) coaching director Wong Choong Hann says Zii Jia has a bright future if he works hard enough and improves himself.

“Zii Jia has shown tremendous improvement at the Korea Open. He’s now able to read his opponent’s playing patern smarter,” Choong Hann told Kosmo.

We must protect Zii Jia at all costs! We wish the Kedahan all the best and who knows, he will continue Chong Wei’s legacy in the future.