SHAH ALAM – National men’s singles player Ng Tze Yong will be participating in the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC). However, his fitness is still somewhat questionable as he has yet to reach his 100% match fitness, according to national singles coach Hendrawan.
Tze Yong suffered a torn back muscle at the Malaysia Open during his first-round match against Japan’s Koki Watanabe last month, which also saw him missing the Thailand Masters and India Open.
Hendrawan said that there would not be any pressure on Tze Yong to perform exceptionally, as he hopes for the 24-year-old shuttler to approach the tournament one game at a time.
“Team Malaysia’s preparation has been going well, and maybe it’s a bit more special for Tze Yong as it’s going to be his first tournament since his injury. He looked decent in training.
“I understand that he’s not 100% fit, I’m not going to put much pressure on him. Let him focus on the tournament first. Whether he is fit or not, we shall see based on his performance in the tournament.
“Normally all the players will play well in the opening match, and whoever we line up in the first game against Brunei, I believe they will give their best.
“If we become the champions in the group, the next stage will be much easier for us, and we will pledge to continue our momentum throughout the tournament.
“Looking at the ranking and by merit, we have already qualified for the Thomas Cup, but our main focus is to do well in BATC and to perform well in front of home fans,” said Hendrawan when met after the test court session at Setia City Convention Centre today.
At the same time, Tze Yong, who was part of the gold medal team (men’s team) in the previous edition of the BATC, said that he is determined to give his best for his team and the nation in this year’s edition, which is scheduled to kick off tomorrow until February 18.
“If my body condition is okay, I would love to play in all the tournaments for this year. My main focus for now is to give my best in the BATC tournament.
“I can only say how far I can go in this tournament after my opening match, as this is going to be my first tournament since my injury. Over the last month, I have been going through several rehabilitation sessions, and I’m hoping to see how my game will be tomorrow.
“I think I will use my tournament experience in the past to help my team excel in this year’s edition.
“The court at Setia City Convention Centre looks good, and the wind in the court is nice as it’s very similar to how it was a couple of years ago. It’s just that the light was too bright on the court. I think the brightness will be fixed ahead of tomorrow’s match,” Tze Yong added.
The men’s team, seeded fourth in the tournament, will battle Brunei (tomorrow), Kazakhstan (February 14), and Chinese Taipei (February 15) in Group B.
In 2022, the team clinched their maiden team title, while the women’s team secured their place in the Uber Cup Finals on merit after reaching the semi-finals.
The top four teams from both the men’s and women’s events will qualify for the Thomas and Uber Cup Finals in China from April 28 to May 5. – February 12, 2024