KUALA LUMPUR – Ng Tze Yong is expected to remain in Qatar for over a month following surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
The 25-year-old national men’s singles shuttler departed for Doha yesterday and is scheduled to undergo the procedure in the coming days at Aspetar, a renowned orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital. He was accompanied by National Sports Institute (NSI) physiotherapist Chin Chee Yong.
NSI chief executive officer Dr Vellapandian Ponnusamy confirmed the arrangement, adding that Tze Yong had personally requested Chin’s presence.
“Tze Yong had specifically requested Chin to accompany him, as he is familiar with him. Chin was the physiotherapist who worked closely with Tze Yong during his rehabilitation from his previous injury and surgeries.
“Tze Yong will first meet the specialist there for assessments and is expected to undergo surgery within the next one or two days.
“Following that, Chin will remain with him for about five days, while Tze Yong is expected to stay on for between four to six weeks,” Dr Vellapandian told Scoop when contacted.
Tze Yong sustained the injury during the opening round of the Malaysia Masters in May, just four tournaments into his return from a 14-month layoff.
He had initially agreed to undergo surgery at Sunway Medical Centre under Dr Gan Eng Cheng, before reconsidering a move to Germany. He ultimately settled on Qatar as his preferred destination.
It is understood the NSI will cover approximately RM40,000 of the surgery cost, while Tze Yong is expected to source additional funding for the remainder of his treatment in Doha.
Aspetar is a world-class facility that has treated some of the globe’s top athletes, including French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé, Brazil’s Neymar, and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.
Recovery from an ACL injury typically takes anywhere from nine months to a year or more, depending on the individual and the rehabilitation process.
Adding to Tze Yong’s misfortune, he is not eligible to apply for a protected ranking from the Badminton World Federation, which only allows such applications once every two years.
Once ranked as high as world No. 14 in 2023 and considered a promising Olympic hopeful, Tze Yong has now slipped to No. 193—a number that is expected to drop further following this latest setback. — July 6, 2025