PETALING JAYA: Please don’t hesitate to ask for help.
This is singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen’s message to injured shuttler Ng Tze Yong.
Tze Yong suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the Malaysian Masters last month and is set to undergo surgery again.
The 25-year-old only made his comeback in April after more than a year out due to two back surgeries and could be out of action for around nine months.
Jonassen acknowledged that Tze Yong, who is currently ranked 199th in the world, has another tough road back and urged his charge to call out for help during his recovery process.
“Tze Yong is not on his own although sometimes it can feel that way for him. My advice for him is to please ask for help during this tough period,” said Jonassen.
“It’s not a weakness to ask for help. He needs to remember that it’s actually a strength. He needs strong support to cope with this.
“We will help him in any way possible but that’s easier said than done because actually at the end of the day it comes down to the athlete.”
Despite the difficulty in having to cope with back-to-back long injury layoffs, Jonassen hopes Tze Yong’s experience and character will see him make a successful comeback to tournaments.
“In Tze Yong’s case, he has some experience dealing with this. Of course it’s different dealing with a new injury just after recovering,” said Jonassen.
“He understands the task at hand. Right now, it’s about getting ready for the surgery. Then it’s believing that post-operation, there’s a strong plan on how to get back.
“I think it’s step by step instead of looking at nine to 12 months ahead which is too far. Of course it takes a strong character to want to come back after a second injury like this.
“It’s a difficult process. When a player is out injured, it’s the worst feeling in the world. You feel away from what you want to really do but he has shown in the past that he has the character and mindset to recover which are very important.
“We will give him the best chance to recover fast and come back on court.”
