Zii Jia avoids pressure in pursuit of Olympic glory

Lee Zii Jia is staying calm and not pressuring himself to become Malaysia's first Olympic champion. On Sunday, the world No. 7 defeated Sri Lanka's Viren Nettasinghe 21-14, 21-12 in his Group G match at Porte de la Chapelle Arena in Paris.

"It is a good opening win for me. Hopefully, things will get better from here on," said the seventh seed. "I will stay calm and avoid putting unnecessary pressure on myself."

Competing in his second Olympics, Zii Jia noted the vibrant atmosphere compared to Tokyo 2020. "The audience here is amazing, and the venue is packed daily. The fans were incredibly loud, and it's different, but we all have to adapt."

Zii Jia will face Spain's Pablo Abian on Wednesday.