KUALA LUMPUR: Coach Wong Tat Meng and Lee Zii Jia will officially part ways after the World Tour Finals (WTF), which begin on Dec 11 in Hangzhou.
Team LZJ announced today on social media that the 57-year-old coach's contract, which expires on Dec 31, will not be renewed, marking an end to their partnership that began in July 2023.
Speculation about Tat Meng's departure had been rife since May, with his contract initially set to conclude after the Paris Olympics.
"Coach Tat Meng has been instrumental in guiding Zii Jia back into the top 10, winning titles and achieving a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
" It is with a heavy heart and much gratitude that Team LZJ accepts his decision to move on to a new phase of his coaching career," the team said in a statement.
While Lee Zii Jia fell short of his target to clinch Olympic gold, his bronze medal finish at the Paris Games remains a huge achievement for Malaysia.
Tat Meng will remain with the team until the end of his contract and is currently preparing world No. 8 Zii Jia for the WTF
Team LZJ have yet to name a replacement, but a new coaching appointment is expected to be announced soon.
"Team LZJ are focused on the 2025 season and the next Olympic cycle," the statement added.
Before joining Team LZJ, Tat Meng coached in Hong Kong, Scotland, Indonesia and South Korea, playing a crucial role in nurturing South Korean women's singles star An Se Young in the early stages of her career.