KUALA LUMPUR – Ng Tze Yong finds himself at a crossroads, torn between the relentless pursuit of his Paris Olympic dreams and lingering doubts surrounding his recovery.
Despite his successful surgery following his torn back muscle at the Malaysia Open last month, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will bide its time to ensure that he is fit before sending him to tournaments that can help him book his ticket to Paris.
BAM president Tan Sri Mohamad Norza Zakaria said that forcing Tze Yong to participate in tournaments will only halt his recovery and may increase the risk of more injuries in the future.
The 23-year-old, who is currently ranked 16th in the world, recently competed in the Badminton Asia Team Championships.
Unfortunately, his return was short-lived as he appeared to aggravate his injury during a quarter-final clash with Singapore’s Jason Teh at the tournament.
“Thanks to the help of the National Sports Institute, Tze Yong’s surgery was successful, and he will now focus on rehabilitation.
“We need to be very careful and monitor his recovery process over the next month. Only then can we decide.
“His condition can still be considered critical, and we need to be realistic about his chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
“He still has the age, and I believe he can still achieve his dream by qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,” said Norza at a press conference at the National Sports Council in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
As co-chair of the Road to Gold programme alongside Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, Norza extended gratitude for the nation’s support and urged restraint in placing undue pressure on athletes.
“I urge everyone not to put unnecessary pressure on our athletes, and I hope we can all give our full support to them as we only have a few months left for the Olympics.
“We have provided and will continue to provide our athletes with all the necessary support to improve their performance,” he added.
Looking ahead to the Paris Olympics scheduled from July 26 to August 11, Norza hinted at a modest contingent size of 25 to 30 athletes, emphasising quality over quantity in pursuit of Malaysia’s first-ever gold medal. – March 1, 2024