KUALA LUMPUR: World No. 7 Lee Zii Jia might consider himself fortunate to face veteran Pablo Abian, though not if the Spanish shuttler were in his prime, at the Paris Olympics.
Abian is one of Zii Jia's two opponents in Group G, alongside Sri Lanka's Viren Nettasinghe, whom the Malaysian will meet in the opener on Sunday.
The world No. 62 Abian has a history of upsetting Malaysian players throughout his career.
In an era when Malaysian losses to European rivals were uncommon, Abian defied expectations by notching notable victories against Hafiz Hashim, Wong Choong Hann, and later Chong Wei Feng and Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin.
Even Zii Jia has experienced Abian's prowess.
In their sole encounter during the 2021 Hylo Open in Germany, Zii Jia narrowly prevailed 21-11, 21-23, 24-22 in 54 minutes, saving two match points.
Despite this, Zii Jia enters their upcoming match at Porte de La Chapelle Arena with significant advantages in form and fitness.
Abian's qualification for his fifth Olympics at 39 is incredible, making him the eldest competitor in the field.
Abian is set to join an exclusive group of five-time Olympians alongside Guatemala's surprise Tokyo 2020 semi-finalist, Kevin Cordon.
The duo will join the exclusive club currently comprising only two others — Poland's Robert Mateusiak and Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana.
Abian credits his Olympic aspirations for his longevity in the sport.
"The years go by, and luckily, I can be at the Olympic Games again," said Abian.
"This will be my fifth appearance, but I approach it like it's the first one. I'm motivated. We have prepared really well to be here in the best possible shape.
"It is really important to keep the same desire of wanting to train and improve every day, to keep the same willingness to compete to improve yourself.
"The Olympic Games are the best thing an athlete can aim for, and that gives extra motivation. Facing the daily double training sessions is the toughest part many times, and then come the tournaments.
"But the Olympic Games are above everything. It gives you extra motivation during your low days," he added.
Despite knowing the odds are heavily stacked against him, he has vowed to give his best to upset the form book. "The goal is to qualify from the group stage and fight for the diploma or the medals," he said.
Abian will certainly aim to win at least one match and maintain his streak of finishing no lower than second in his group.
Apart from losing in the first round, then held in the knockout stage, during his debut in Beijing 2008, Abian had finished second to Indonesia's Taufik Hidayat (London 2012), Hong Kong's Hu Yun (Rio 2016), and China's Chen Long (Tokyo 2020).
Abian will fancy his chances against Viren after his victory over the latter in the semi-finals of the Swedish Open in January. He went on to become champion, marking his 29th title at the International Challenge or International Series level.