File picture of Goh Liu Ying (right) with her partner Chan Peng Soon at the BWF World Superseries Finals last year. Liu Ying will play in the Malaysian Open first before deciding whether to undergo knee surgery.
KUALA LUMPUR: Mixed doubles specialist Goh Liu Ying has decided to give herself one more chance to salvage her career – before deciding whether to undergo knee surgery.
On Thursday, Liu Ying decided to play on with her loyal partner Chan Peng Soon in the Malaysian Open starting next Wednesday at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Last week, she pulled out of the ongoing season opener Korean Open in Seoul because she could not go full swing in training.
“For now, I am not experiencing any unbearable pain in my knee. I can move around during training and I have decided to gauge my condition at the Malaysian Open,” said Liu Ying.
“I want to see whether my knee can handle the strain of playing in a competitive tournament like the Malaysian Open. If I cannot move as freely as I wish, I will opt for surgery.
“I will surely decide after the Malaysian Open. I am glad that Peng Soon is really understanding. This is very important to me because my career as a badminton player depends on it.
“I want to be really, really sure before making a final decision.”
So far, all the doctors, including National Sports Institute (NSI) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Dr Ramlan Aziz, have advised Liu Ying to go for surgery so that her condition would not worsen.
The 24-year-old Liu Ying is suffering from a meniscus tear on her right knee after years of pushing herself in training and competitions. In fact, she has developed a small tear on her left knee, too.
If she goes for surgery, Liu Ying can forget about competing in all major tournaments this year – the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and Asian Games.
The surgery will require her to stay off the badminton court for four to eight months and undergo a rehabilitation programme.
In the Malaysian Open, Liu Ying-Peng Soon are seeded sixth and drawn in the challenging top half of the draw with top seeds Zhang Nan-Zhao Yunlei of China, the Adcocks – Chris and Gabrielle – and Denmark’s third seeds Joachim Fischer Nielsen-Christinna Pedersen.
Zhang Nan-Yunlei are the overwhelming favourites while the Europeans will be strong contenders, too. The Adcocks nailed the Hong Kong Open last year while Fischer Nielsen-Pedersen also ended the year on a high when they emerged BWF World Super Series Finals champions.
In the opening round, Liu Ying-Peng Soon have a tricky match against Indonesia’s professional players Mohd Rijal-Vita Marissa.
National coach Jeremy Gan said that he would support Liu Ying no matter what her decision is.
“This is the time when Liu Ying needs all the support she can get. She has sacrificed so much for the sport and now, she needs us to be there by her side. Let us see how she performs at the Malaysian Open first before making any decisions,” said Jeremy when asked whether he had chosen any candidates as a future partner for Peng Soon.
