Home » Zii Jia gets protected ranking from BWF; India’s Reddy retires

Zii Jia gets protected ranking from BWF; India’s Reddy retires

Lee Zii Jia gets protected ranking from the Badminton World Federation (BWF) on Tuesday, while Indian shuttler B Sumeeth Reddy retires.

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ZII JIA GETS PROTECTED RANKING FROM BWF AMID INJURY WOES

Zii Jia gets protected ranking from the BWF amid his injury woes that plagued his comeback.

Furthermore, the 26-year-old Malaysian world No.9 made the request to the BWF, which it granted on Tuesday.

Moreover, Zii Jia cited his right ankle injury as the reason for his long spell away from the court.

The Malaysian has missed five World Tour tournaments this year and has hurt his ranking.

By protecting Zii Jia’s ranking, the BWF will not touch his current No.9 position as stated in the protected ranking guidelines.

On the brighter side, finally a long break for Zii Jia after his long torturous work since 2021 for Paris Olympics 🥹 I believe the longest break he took was only one month in 2023, total rest away from tournament might help his mental reboot to do even better in the future ❤️✨ https://t.co/uamutESP0i

— kuromiziijia 𐙚 ✨💕 (@everysza) March 24, 2025

MALAYSIAN TO MISS ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, SUDIRMAN CUP DUE TO PROTECTED RANKING

The BWF’s protected ranking, however, prohibits Zii Jia from taking part in tournaments under the three-month period.

Moreover, the Malaysian will skip the Asian Championships in Ningbo, China, from April 8-13.

Furthermore, he will also not be able to participate in the Sudirman Cup uin Xiamen from April 27 to May 4.

“After careful consideration and advice from the relevant parties including medical experts, our application to BWF to grant protected ranking for Lee Zii Jia is successful,” Zii Jia’s Team LZJ said.

“”The protected ranking is to allow Zii Jia to continue with his recovery from the right ankle injury,” he added.

REDDY RETIRES, TO SHIFT FOCUS ON COACHING CAREER

Reddy announced his retirement from badminton on Sunday to shift his focus on a coaching career.

Furthermore, the 33-year-old Indian shuttler is currently world No.25 in men’s doubles along with N. Sikki Reddy prior to his announcement.

Moreover, Reddy decided to focus more on his health is he still continues to recover from spinal bone degeneration that threatened to cut short his career for many years.

“Embracing the next chapter with gratitude and excitement. I thank my family, friends, and well-wishers for all the support,” the Indian shuttler said.

“Doctors advised me to quit due to the risk of lower-body paralysis. At 20, I had no job and needed wall support to walk,” he added.