NSI optimistic Tze Yong will go to Olympics despite injury
DESPITE Ng Tze Yong’s recent setback with a back injury, the National Sports Institute (NSI) remains optimistic about his chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics in July.
Timesport reported on Tuesday that Tze Yong is dealing with a spinal disc problem, which could potentially force him out of the Super 750 French Open and Super 1000 All England.
While not disclosing specific details due to confidentiality, NSI consultant sports physician Dr Jasmiza Khuzairi Jasme confirmed the accuracy of reports on Tze Yong’s injury.
“To make it short and precise, yes, the injury this time is not related to the previous one in January.
“He complained of other symptoms after the Brunei tie at the Badminton Asia Team Championships.
“We quickly assessed and agreed to intervene as soon as possible as we needed to prepare him for the European tournaments in March.
“Unfortunately, the Singapore tie came too soon for him to recover from a procedure he underwent.
“Now he is recovering and undergoing rehabilitation and some light training.
“The medical team at NSI and the BA of Malaysia (BAM) are working closely behind the scenes to assist Tze Yong to recover in time. We hope he can still make it to Paris 2024,” said Jasmiza.
As of now, BAM has only withdrawn Tze Yong from the Super 300 German Open.
Throughout this season, Tze Yong has not completed a full match in any World Tour event, and he has dropped to No. 16 in the world rankings and the Race to Paris standings (RTP).
A country can have a maximum of two singles players at the Olympics if they are in the RTP top 16 bracket at the end of the one-year Olympic qualifying period in April.
It’s crucial to note that Tze Yong reached the semi-finals of the French Open last year and the quarter-finals of the All England, which means he will lose valuable points and drop further down the rankings.
In the event of a miraculous recovery, and Tze Yong plays in Europe next month, he will face Taiwan’s Su Li Yang in the French Open first round and India’s Lakshya Sen in the opening round of the All England.