KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Professional men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia may be out of action for a while as his team, Team LZJ, has successfully applied for his ranking protection under the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

Team LZJ, in a statement today, said the move was taken after careful consideration and advice from relevant parties, including medical experts.

“This is to allow Zii Jia to continue in his recovery from a right ankle injury and (he) will miss the forthcoming tournaments, including the Badminton Asia Championships.