KUALA LUMPUR – The anticipation surrounding women’s doubles player Anna Cheong’s appearance at the upcoming Malaysia Open is shrouded in uncertainty.
Anna suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her right knee in October of last year, undergoing a 10-month recovery period.
She made a return to competition this year alongside partner Teoh Mei Xing at the World Championships in August and they participated in five tournaments together.
Unfortunately, her journey faced another hurdle when she re-injured her knee at the Kumamoto Masters in Japan in November.
Despite this setback, the 25-year-old clarified that the recent injury impacted a different part of the same knee and not the previously injured ACL.
“My recovery is going well and I can already resume training. I feel good for now but I have to see how my recovery is progressing week by week.
“We are gradually increasing my training load and the team is monitoring my progress day by day.
“Right now I’m just focused on taking care of my condition,” she said when met during training at Akademi Badminton Malaysia today.
Anna was hopeful about her potential participation in next month’s Malaysia Open, but she admitted that a final decision on competing at the Axiata Arena from January 9 to 14 will be made at the eleventh hour due to her current condition.
“If I am fully fit, my coach will give the green light for me to compete – and I will give my best and go all out because I don’t want to play half-heartedly in front of the home crowd.
“My condition will be monitored closely by the coaches, and if everything goes well in the next two weeks, then I will take part in the Malaysia Open,” she added.
Anna and Mei Xing, ranked a career-high 17th in the world before the injury last year, currently find themselves in 64th position.
The duo aim to make a significant climb in the rankings, starting with the Malaysia Open, provided Anna receives clearance to participate. – December 29, 2023