PETALING JAYA: National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen is fully aware that the injury to his charge, Ng Tze Yong, could disrupt his plans to assemble the strongest line-up for the 2026 Thomas Cup.
Although the tournament in Horsens, Denmark, is still about a year away, scheduled for April or May, Jonassen knows time is running short to build a formidable men’s singles squad capable of mounting a strong challenge at the prestigious team competition.
What makes the task even more daunting is his own admission that it would take a near miracle for any up-and-coming player to impress him enough to earn a spot in the Thomas Cup squad.
At present, the men’s singles squad comprise just five players, among them Leong Jun Hao, Justin Hoh, Eogene Ewe and young talent Kong Zhou Swin, who was recently promoted to the senior team.
As such, Jonassen and the singles coaching team are focused on sharpening the skills of these existing players to ensure they are able to compete with the top names in the sport.
“Now, the injury to Tze Yong obviously affects things a little, but we’ll see. Overall, I’m working towards a goal where we can produce a line-up that’s capable of challenging the best.
“Of course, purely based on world rankings, we’re not at the level of the top nations. They are ranked much higher, and unless we do something spectacular over the next eight to 10 months, we won’t surpass them in the rankings.
“With less than 12 months to go before this major championship, I would be very surprised if a junior player could make the kind of progress needed to perform at that level. So we’ll be coming in as underdogs. But for me, it’s about being able to deliver a strong performance, and potentially that crucial win, on the day it matters most,” said Jonassen.
At the same time, Jonassen is not ready to disclose the details of Tze Yong’s injury, despite rumours that the 25-year-old suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during his first-round match against Angus Ng Ka Long at the Malaysian Masters two weeks ago.
It is a tough situation for Tze Yong, who only made his return in April after a year-long break due to a back injury.
The injury sustained by Tze Yong has forced him to withdraw from last week’s Singapore Open and this week’s Indonesian Open.
