2021 All England Open Badminton Championship champion Lee Zii Jia will replace archery champion Khairul Anuar Mohamad as the flag bearer at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which will be happening on 23 July.
Olympic Council of Malaysia president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria, who confirmed the replacement said Khairul Anuar had asked to be exempted from being a flag bearer in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics as he will be competing on 24 July.
Zii Jia will be teaming up with another mixed doubles badminton player Goh Liu Ying to carry the Malaysian flag.
Zii Jia is expected to fight for a medal in Tokyo following his All England title after beating world number two Victor Axelsen of Denmark 30-29, 20-22, 21-9 in the final in Birmingham last March.
Liu Ying, and his partner Chan Peng Soon, who is ranked seventh best in the world, won silver medals during the Rio Olympics in 2016 after losing 14-21, 12-21 to Indonesian pair Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana in the final.
A total of 30 athletes will be representing Malaysia and competing in 10 events at the Tokyo Olympic Games, from 23 July to 8 August 8.
