KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has called on Ng Tze Yong not to give up and to “press on until he’s fully recovered”, strongly suggesting that the national men’s singles player is dealing with more than just a knee strain.
Her remarks, made during the Daikin International Badminton Championships 2025 today, appear to support growing speculation that Tze Yong’s injury is far more serious than originally let on by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM).
“We have to accept that with sports, there is always the potential of facing injuries,” Hannah said.
“And therefore, if you are under Road to Gold (RTG), you get the support for recovery – just like what happened to Datuk Azizulhasni (Awang), and Tze Yong.”
“I hope Tze Yong will not give up. I hope he will continue to press on until he’s fully recovered.”
Hannah’s comments came just hours after BAM singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen refused to confirm or deny whether Tze Yong had been advised to undergo anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery – a procedure that could sideline the 25-year-old for the rest of the season and possibly longer.
Asked directly by Scoop if the national shuttler had indeed been told to consider ACL surgery, Jonassen replied: “I cannot comment on this until I have all the facts… but obviously we’ve pulled him out of last week and this week (Singapore and Indonesia Opens). That’s the only thing I can comment on at the moment.”
This follows Tze Yong’s collapse on court during his Malaysia Masters first-round match against Hong Kong’s Angus Ng Ka Long a fortnight ago. BAM initially announced it as a knee strain, but sources later told Scoop he had been advised to undergo surgery.
If he does, it will be his second major layoff in just over a year. Tze Yong only returned to competition in April after missing more than 12 months of competitive action due to a lower back injury and two surgeries.
Crucially, he would also not be able to apply for a protected ranking again until 2027 – under Badminton World Federation (BWF) rules, players are only eligible once every two years. His current protected status expires this October, meaning he has only a short window to collect ranking points before losing access to top-tier events.
Tze Yong had suffered first-round exits at the Asian Championships, Chinese Taipei Open, and Thailand Open before his latest injury setback in Kuala Lumpur. – June 3, 2025