KUALA LUMPUR, April 12 -- The presence of professional singles player Lee Zii Jia in Malaysia's 2026 Thomas Cup team will be able to spur his teammates to do their best during the tournament in Horsens, Denmark this April 24 to May 3, according to national badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek.

He pointed out that Zii Jia still had a big influence as a world-famous player, having won the 2021 All-England, even with his less-than-satisfactory performance after his return from injury.

"Zii Jia's presence will at least strengthen the team and raise their spirits. Previously, other players besides Zii Jia, if selected have no name recognition and there is a big difference in terms of their standard.

"Well-known players are capable of having ...