SHAH ALAM: National men’s singles shuttler, Ng Tze Yong, who suffered a back injury at the Malaysian Open in January, is likely to be fielded against Brunei at the Badminton Asia Team Championship (BATC) 2024, tomorrow.
The national men’s singles badminton coach, Hendrawan, seemed to hint that Tze Yong, ranked 15th in the world, would be selected by the coaching line to be fielded in the first match.
“Players’ preparations have been good, but maybe Tze Yong is more special because this is his first tournament after injury. Tze Yong looks good during training, even though not 100 per cent yet.
“… so if you want to see him fit, you have to watch him in the first match; you will definitely see it,” he said when met by reporters at the Setia City Convention Centre, Shah Alam, here today.
Hendrawan also admitted that winning Group B would certainly give the country an advantage in the draw for the quarter-final stage of the championship.
Meanwhile, Tze Yong said he was thrilled to play in BATC 2024, after only going through the rehabilitation process for a month without participating in any tournament in the Badminton World Federation (BWF) calendar.
He hopes that his presence in the BATC 2024, as a more experienced player, can help to contribute valuable points to the Malaysian team.
“I want to play all the matches if my physical condition is good. Nobody wants to lose, so I want to contribute a point because every point is crucial and the team will not be under pressure if they lead,” he said.
Tze Yong was forced to retire in the first round of the Malaysian Open, against Japan’s Koki Watanabe on Jan 10, after pulling up with a back injury after executing a smash.
In BATC 2024, from Feb 13-18, Malaysia, as the defending champion in the men’s team category, is in Group B, alongside Brunei, Kazakhstan and Taiwan. — BERNAMA
