PETALING JAYA: Men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong likened his first day as an independent player to starting school for the first time as he embarks on a new chapter in his career.
Tze Yong reported for training with his new club, Next Level Badminton Academy in Petaling Jaya, yesterday.
His first session went smoothly under the watchful eye of coach Soong Joo Ven, his former senior during their time in the national set-up.
“It’s like moving to a new place. I need some time to adapt and get used to everything.
“I see it as moving from primary school to secondary school. I’ve been with BAM for a long time, and this is my first experience training outside the national set-up in Malaysia,” said Tze Yong.
The positive start has further lifted his spirits, although his immediate focus remains on training consistently as he continues his recovery from injury.
The Johor-born shuttler suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee in May last year, just months after returning from a lengthy layoff caused by a serious back injury.
“Physically, I feel quite good, but as I said, the most important thing is to be able to train consistently. It’s not about training one day and then having to stop the next.
“My priority now is to be able to train throughout the whole week.
“Right now, I’m quite excited because everything feels fresh and new. I just hope I can maintain this enthusiasm moving forward,” he added.
Last week, the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced that it had reached a mutual agreement with Tze Yong to part ways, paving the way for him to begin his journey as an independent player.
