KUALA LUMPUR – With Ng Tze Yong still recovering from a lower back injury, Akademi Badminton Malaysia’s (ABM) newly appointed singles head coach, Kenneth Jonassen, believes withdrawing the men’s singles player from next year’s Super 1000 Malaysia Open is the right decision.
The 24-year-old first sustained the injury during the opening round of the Malaysia Open in January this year.
Since then, the Johor-born shuttler has undergone two surgeries and is currently under a one-year protected ranking granted by the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
While local fans are eager to see the Commonwealth Games silver medallist return to action, Jonassen emphasised that rushing back could jeopardise Tze Yong’s long-term progress.
“I think it’s the right decision by Tze Yong and his coach K. Yogendran not to rush into playing a tournament before he has fully recovered and feels physically ready to compete, especially at the highest level in a tournament like the Malaysia Open,” Jonassen told Scoop from Denmark.
Jonassen, who will officially assume his coaching role in January, visited Malaysia last week to meet with some of the national singles players and coaches, including Tze Yong and Yogendran.
“We had a very good, relaxed, and honest conversation—getting to know each other and discussing what it takes to compete at the highest level,” Jonassen shared.
“When a player has a protected ranking, as Tze Yong does, their return to competition needs to involve careful strategic planning, combined with the understanding that they must be physically prepared to perform beyond just one match.”
Jonassen also stressed the importance of teamwork in managing the player’s recovery.
“This can only be achieved through good communication between the player and the support team around them,” added Jonassen, who joins ABM after serving Badminton Denmark for 11 years, including eight as head coach.
Widely credited for the success of players such as two-time Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and European champion Anders Antonsen, Jonassen declined to speculate on Tze Yong’s current recovery status.
“It’s too early for me to comment on his progress as I haven’t been closely involved in the process for long,” said the Dane, who will return to Malaysia next month to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s.
With Tze Yong out, Malaysia’s men’s singles campaign at the Malaysia Open will be spearheaded by independent shuttler and 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist Lee Zii Jia, alongside world number 29 Leong Jun Hao. — November 30, 2024