KUALA LUMPUR – National junior shuttler Siti Zulaikha Azmi is hopeful of recovering in time, yet cautious about her inclusion in the squad for the World Junior Championships (WJC) in Nanchang, China, later this month.
The 18-year-old rising star in women’s singles told Scoop today that she resumed light court training last week after sustaining a posterior ankle impingement in May.
The Melaka-born shuttler explained that the injury, which affects the Achilles region and heel bone, worsened after her double bronze medal success (in the mixed team and individual events) at the Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta in July.
“The injury I have is called a posterior ankle impingement. There’s a bone spur (a small bony lump) causing the pain. I first felt it during the European tournaments in May.
“By the time I reached the AJC, I was already feeling pain after each match,” said Siti Zulaikha, who is currently ranked 7th in the world junior rankings.
Seen as a potential medal contender and future women’s singles star, Siti Zulaikha is focused on her recovery and won’t rush to compete at the WJC if she is not fully fit.
“For now, I’m concentrating on my rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
“I think it’s best not to rush into competition, as I don’t want to worsen the injury,” she added.
It is worth noting that Siti Zulaikha was part of the team that secured bronze at last year’s WJC in Spokane, United States.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) is closely monitoring Siti Zulaikha’s progress over the next two weeks before deciding on her participation in the WJC, which is scheduled from September 30 to October 13. – September 6, 2024