KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong’s performance at the Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) will determine his inclusion in the Sudirman Cup team.
The BAC will take place next week in Ningbo, China.
Unlike countries such as Japan and France, which have already confirmed their squads, Malaysia is expected to finalise its team only before the registration deadline on April 14. The Sudirman Cup will take place in Xiamen, China, from April 27 to May 4.
Tze Yong, 24, has not played competitive badminton for more than a year due to a lower back injury and subsequent surgeries.
His long-awaited return at the BAC is particularly significant, as it will allow him to continue using his world number 18 protected ranking for another six months.
It is understood that BAM has already invited independent players to be part of the squad but will finalize it after the BAC.
“We will wait until after the BAC to name the final squad,” BAM doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky told Scoop yesterday.
“(Men’s singles head coach) Kenneth Jonassen has asked for more time to properly assess Tze Yong and determine if he will be ready. Since the registration deadline is still some time away, we can afford to wait,” he added.
Tze Yong, who is currently ranked 1,919 in the world, faces a tough opening match at the BAC against former world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand.
If Jonassen deems him unfit for the Sudirman Cup, the two available men’s singles slots are likely to go to Leong Jun Hao and Justin Hoh.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s top men’s singles player, Lee Zii Jia, remains on the sidelines for at least another three months as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained during the World Tour Finals in December. – April 3, 2025