Lee Zii Jia now ranked fifth in the world

KUALA LUMPUR: National men's singles badminton ace Lee Zii Jia went up one rung to the fifth position in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) rankings after collecting 90,378 points from 41 tournaments he has participated in.

Based on the latest rankings released by the BWF, Zii Jia surpassed Indonesia's Anthony Sinisuka Ginting, who currently sits in sixth with 87,879 points.

Zii Jia's achievement also puts him in the same league as former national badminton singles champion Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who had once placed himself among the top five in the world.

Meanwhile, the Olympic champion from Denmark, Viktor Axelsen remains the world number one followed by Japan's Kento Mamota in second place.

The 2022 season has been good so far for professional Zii Jia, as he clinched his first title this year by topping the Asian Badminton Championships (BAC) in Manila, Philippines, early last month.

The former All England champion also maintained consistent performance in the 2022 Thomas Cup in Bangkok by winning all his matches through to the quarterfinals.

Last week, Zii Jia showcased the character of a champion to clinch his second consecutive title this year by beating China's Li Shi Feng 17-21 21-11 23-21 in the final at the Thai Open.

-- BERNAMA