PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is waiting with bated breath for an upcoming fitness test that could determine his return to competitive badminton.
The 26-year-old has been sidelined for seven months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee and undergoing surgery at the Aspetar Medical Centre in Doha last July.
After months of rehabilitation, Tze Yong has returned to on-court training, though not yet on a full daily schedule.
Encouragingly, he said he is no longer experiencing pain in his knee, but stressed that his return to competition will hinge on the outcome of the test.
“I think the progress has been very good because there is no pain anymore. Right now, I just need to be more consistent,” said Tze Yong.
“At the moment, I can do hard training one day, then I have to stay off court for a few days. So I feel I need to build that consistency first before we can really see how things go.
“I think there is one more test to go. If everything is okay after that, then I might be able to return to almost full training.
“Maybe in a few more weeks. I am not too sure yet, I need to check with the physio,” said Tze Yong.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist also admitted that he is mentally more mature in dealing with this injury compared to the first time he faced a similar setback after suffering a back injury in 2024.
“I think the last injury was the toughest because it was my first one, and emotionally I did not really know how to control things. But now, with this being my second injury, I understand it better,” said Tze Yong.
“I feel that what matters most is myself. I will keep trying because if in the end I cannot play, at least I will not have any regrets. At least I tried,” he added.
The Johor born shuttler was once ranked world No. 14, the highest position he has achieved in his career.
