KUALA LUMPUR, April 5 — National professional singles shuttler Cheam June Wei may still join the national squad for the 2024 Thomas Cup competition, which will be held in Chengdu, China from April 27-May 5.
National men’s singles coach Datuk Tey Seu Bock said the world number 61 shuttler is still on his radar for selection to the prestigious men’s team championship, which will be held at the Chengdu High-Tech Zone Sports Centre.
“Yes, of course (there is a possibility of June Wei going to the 2024 Thomas Cup Finals) as our line-up is not 100 per cent confirmed yet. We will take the best singles players... they are not going there for exposure,” he told reporters after a training session at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara here today.
He added that the 27-year-old June Wei has also joined their training session, which began today, at the ABM and he will be assessed by the panel of coaches before the deadline for the submission of players’ names for the 2024 Thomas Cup closes on April 13.
Asked about Ng Tze Yong’s condition, Seu Bock said the world number 18 is still traumatised by the back injury he suffered that led to him having to undergo surgery.
However, the coach said that it’s only normal for Tze Yong to feel traumatised by the injury as it’s a common occurrence among players who have had to undergo surgery for their injuries.
Tze Yong was confirmed to be suffering from spinal pain due to an injury sustained during the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) in Shah Alam, Selangor, in February.
The injury not only resulted in the 23-year-old missing out on the opportunity to make his maiden Olympic appearance at Paris 2024 from July 26-Aug 11, but it also forced him to pull out from competing in the April 9-14 Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) 2024 in Ningbo, China.
Seu Bock also said that the injury trauma experienced by Tze Yong was worse than that suffered by national badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei, who had to withdraw from the 2012 Thomas Cup in Wuhan, China due to an ankle injury.
“Tze Yong’s level of trauma is more serious than Chong Wei’s. This is because the basic abilities, including physical strength, between the two are different. Chong Wei is strong, Tze Yong is the opposite,” he said.
In the 2012 Thomas Cup, Chong Wei was leading 2-0 in the first game against Denmark’s singles ace Peter Gade when he twisted his ankle when he landed awkwardly while trying to retrieve a shot during the Group C tie against the Danes before leaving the Wuhan Sports Gymnasium Centre in an ambulance.
Things are quite chaotic with the current national men’s badminton team ahead of the 2024 Thomas Cup Finals as professional shuttler Lee Zii Jia is still unsure of joining the squad to Chengdu.
Malaysia, who are seeded fifth for the 2024 Thomas Cup Finals, have been drawn in Group D with European giants and 2016 champions Denmark, Hong Kong and Algeria. — Bernama
