Rashid sympathises with Tze Yong’s fate

badminton legend, Datuk Rashid Sidek feels sympathy for the fate of men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong, who had to abandon his dream of making his Olympiics debut at the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris.

The men’s singles bronze medallist from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics said Tze Yong’s “nightmare” was a loss for the country, which would not have two representatives in the event at the quadrennial extravaganza.

“If I couldn’t go to the Olympics, I would feel frustrated, but what can we do if it’s not meant to be for Tze Yong to go there.

“It’s a real loss for us not to have two representatives in Paris. I believe the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) would have wanted to have two representatives if possible, but we have to accept this fact and focus on helping Tze Yong prepare for the next tournament until the next Olympics (Los Angeles 2028),” he told Bernama.

Asked whether participating in Los Angeles 2028 would be too late for the 23-year-old player to set foot in the Olympics, Rashid rejected such a notion saying age is not the measure of success for a player on the world’s most prestigious sports stage.

“Just like Datuk Lee Chong Wei, the last time he won the silver medal (Rio 2016), he was 33 years old. What’s important depends on the player, if they feel they can still play at the age of 30, it’s up to them,” he said.

Rashid hopes Tze Yong can fully focus on the recovery process following his recent back surgery before returning to the court.

“Take care of your health first. If you have fully recovered, you can start full training again because this injury is quite serious. Don’t force yourself, if it gets worse, it could reach a point where you can’t even walk,” he said. – Bernama