KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s singles player Ng Tze Yong still has a chance to be included in the final list for the Thomas Cup, according to Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
The 23-year-old is recovering from back surgery and has recently returned to the court albeit only doing light training.
“His movement is getting better but he is still careful with more explosive movements.
“He has shown positive signs in covering a large area of the court to prepare for smashes,” Rexy told reporters at ABM in Bukit Kiara here today.
On Saturday, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) said in a statement that Tze Yong would pull out of the Badminton Asia Championships next week, putting an end to his dreams of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
He is currently in 17th position on the BWF’s Race to Paris rankings and for a nation to qualify two players for Paris they both need to be in the top 16.
Independent men’s singles shuttler Lee Zii Jia is currently in 10th place.
This has alleviated some of the pressure of qualifying for the Paris Games on Tze Yong, which gives him ample time to focus on his recovery.
With the Thomas Cup just a few weeks away, Rexy believes Tze Yong can recover in time to make the squad for the team competition.
“He still has a chance to be listed for the tournament. I think he can be ready by the time the tournament comes.
“Give or take, there is still a month before the tournament starts so there is plenty of time for Tze Yong,” said Rexy.
Tze Yong’s injury woes started at the Malaysia Open in January, where he suffered a muscle tear in his back during his first-round clash against Koki Watanabe.
However, he recovered to play in the Badminton Asia Team Championships in February but had to withdraw from his semi-final clash against Singapore’s Jason Teh.
Malaysia still went on to defeat their neighbours 3-1.
The BAM later revealed that he had injured his spine during the team championships and underwent back surgery.
The Thomas Cup is scheduled from April 27-May 5 in Chengdu, China. – April 2, 2024