KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh met with star shuttler Lee Zii Jia to discuss the Road to Gold (RTG) programme at an undisclosed location in the Klang Valley this morning.
RTG coordinator Stuart Ramalingam and Zii Jia's sister-cum-manager Lee Zii Yii attended the meeting too.
Yeoh said she was impressed by Zii Jia's desire to secure Malaysia's first-ever Olympic gold at the Paris games next year.
"This morning, I met Zii Jia together with Stuart. It was a positive meeting," Yeoh said on social media.
"Zii Jia supports the RTG initiative and is thankful to be included in this national project.
"Zii Jia told me he really wants that first gold medal in Paris 2024 for the country. This is what I want to hear from our athletes, it starts with that desire for gold.
"Stuart will further discuss with Zii Jia's agent the details of his commitment to RTG, which will include coaching and sparring coordination. Let's get to work."
Zii Jia had struggled for form earlier this year before showing some improvement at the All England Championships last month.
Yeoh had expressed her desire to help Zii Jia and wanted to meet with him after his defeat at the German Open early last month. Their busy schedules, however, made it difficult to set up a meeting.