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PETALING JAYA: Hendrawan, a relieved and proud men’s singles head coach, admitted that he was impressed by Lee Zii Jia’s exploits across England.
Not that the 48-year-old Indonesian had no faith in his player, but the way Zii Jia rose from the ashes to win a major title in just a few weeks left him in awe.
We are proud: Lee Zii Jia posing with the trophy after winning the All-England final in Birmingham. – AFP
Hendrawan revealed that he had actually asked Zii Jia if he wanted to continue his trip to Birmingham after the latter’s humiliating semi-final loss to Thai prodigy Kunlavut Vitidsarn at the Swiss Open.
“We had planned from the beginning to let Zii Jia regain his shattered confidence at the Swiss Open. If he’s not ready yet, we’ll take him out of the All-England, ”Hendrawan said.
“Although he showed some improvement, it seemed that he was still struggling with his confidence against Kunlavut.
“After the game, I gave him a day to calm down before I asked him again if he wanted to play for the All-England. He said, ‘Coach, I feel a lot better now and my game is coming, so I want to give the All-England a chance.’
“But not in my wildest dreams, that I would go on to beat the two best players in the world… Kento Momota and Viktor Axelsen and become the champion.
“It was really a surprise. For a player who has lost the confidence in himself to recover in such a short time and make the best performance of his career, it is almost impossible.
“After returning from Thailand and a week lost in quarantine, we only had less than a few weeks to prepare.
“But obviously we know very well that Zii Jia is capable of beating anyone when he plays at his true level. We never doubt that, it’s just your trust. “
Hendrawan witnessed Zii Jia’s glorious moment on television as he was unable to travel to Europe due to visa issues.
In his absence, head coach Wong Choong Hann and deputy Datuk Tey Seu Bock spoke.
“It’s okay that I can’t be there. I am still the happiest and proudest man, ”added Hendrawan, whose best performance with the All-England during his playing days was reaching the semi-finals in 2000.
And Hendrawan knows that expectations for Zii Jia will skyrocket.
“Can you win an Olympic medal? Yes. If he can replicate the same performance at the All-England.
“It all comes down to mental preparation. There is no guarantee, but we will prepare it to the best of our ability. “
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