KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s singles player Ng Tze Yong should draw inspiration from Spain’s women’s singles player Carolina Marin in order to make it to the Paris Olympics.
Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) technical director, Rexy Mainaky, shared that in recent days, Tze Yong has been unable to perform at his best on the court due to lingering trauma from his injury.
However, Rexy remains hopeful that Tze Yong can draw inspiration from Marin.
The 30-year-old Marin faced significant setbacks, suffering an ACL injury in her right knee in 2019. Two years later, she found herself bedridden again after tearing her ACL and both menisci in her left knee in June 2021.
Despite her serious injuries, Marin proved to be among the world’s top women’s singles players by winning both the recent All England and Swiss Open Championships within a span of two weeks.
“I just spoke with (Datuk) Tey Seu Bock this morning and was informed that Tze Yong is still unable to cover the full court. In fact, he himself complained to Seu Bock that he’s a bit fed up because there are many things he still can’t do.
“For me, it comes down to Tze Yong himself because he knows his body better and he needs to overcome it.
“At this point, it’s up to him, whether he’s confident to play. Our coaching team wants him to play, but it all depends on him. If not, we’ll just shift our focus away from the Olympics and concentrate more on the Thomas Cup.
“Realistically, if he competes in the Badminton Asian Championships (BAC), I want him to go all out because that’s the only way for him to secure a place in the Olympics. If he manages to become the champion, the Olympic slot will be his, but that’s only if.
“I want him to have the hunger to be the champion. Take (Carolina) Marin for an example, she has faced serious injuries before, but she was able to come back and win two consecutive championships at the All England and Swiss Open recently,” said Rexy.
The upcoming BAC will be the lifeline for Tze Yong to secure a spot at the Paris Olympics in July.
The tournament will take place in Ningbo, China, on April 9.
It will be a daunting task for Tze Yong as the championship not only attracts the best players from the continent but also because he still has not fully recovered from a back injury sustained in February.
Previously, Tze Yong disclosed that he will not be participating in the ongoing Spain Masters Championships, further narrowing his chances for the Olympics after not competing in the French Open and All England previously. – March 26, 2024