KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — National men's singles player Ng Tze Yong still has a chance to represent the country in the 2024 Thomas Cup, as it is estimated he would have enough time to get into fighting trim before the biennial tournament opens on April 27 in Chengdu, China.
Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) coaching director Rexy Mainaky said the world number 18, who underwent surgery on his back in February, had resumed training.
“There is definitely (still a chance for Thomas Cup) because (I think) Tze Yong is ready because we still have one month (before it starts).
“Tze Yong has a (back) condition; we can see he can execute better movement, but maybe he is still a little careful in making extreme manoeuvres (in addition to) the movements to cover the big court, (but) it is already positive from what I have seen," he said.
Ng was confirmed to be suffering from spinal pain due to an injury sustained during the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) in Shah Alam, Selangor, in February.
The 23-year-old is skipping the opportunity to make his debut at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris from July 26 to August 11, and even withdrew from participating in the 2024 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in Ningbo, China, from April 9 to April 14.
The 2024 Thomas Cup takes place from April 27 to May 5 in Chengdu, China.
— Bernama