Will Zii Jia enter NSI's 'mental court'?
There were concerns about the Olympic bronze medallist's mental health after Zii Jia shared a cryptic social media post recently, and which led to the National Sports Council contacting his management team. Zii Jia's team responded by saying he was fine.
However, this has not stopped badminton fans from speculating on Zii Jia's mental health and whether the professional shuttler could cope with the expectations and pressure following a run of disappointing results.
Zii Jia has also delayed his return from injury by announcing his withdrawal from the Japan Open next month. He has been missing from the World Tour in the past four months. His last tournament was the All England in March where he fell in the first round.
Vellapandian, a trained sports psychologist, said NSI remains open to helping Zii Jia, and the chief executive is willing to meet him personally.
"He can come to us anytime. I am offering to see him personally if he needs help.
"Sometimes there's stigma around mental health, and athletes may be reluctant to talk about anxiety or depression.
"I'm very open. I'll give him first priority. If it turns out to be more clinical, we can refer him to the right mental health professionals," said Vellapandian.
Although Zii Jia is not in NSC's elite programme, Vellapandian stressed that NSI psychologists had supported him in the past and would do so again.
"Zii Jia still represents Malaysia internationally. In the past, we've provided psychological support to him at major games. He can still refer to our psychologists."
Vellapandian said mental wellbeing should be viewed from two angles — general mental health and performance psychology.
"For performance-based support, we have in-house psychologists. But broader mental health may involve lifestyle, environment or even spiritual aspects."
Regarding Zii Jia's recent post, which featured dark imagery, Vellapandian urged the public not to jump to conclusions, noting it could simply be artistic expression.
However, he said such behaviour should be monitored.
"If there's a pattern — if similar posts continue or if there's pressure affecting his performance — then it may warrant further evaluation."
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