KUALA LUMPUR – National shuttler Jacky Kok Jing Hong was the next best replacement for Justin Hoh, said Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) secretary-general Datuk Kenny Goh.
World number 156 men’s single shuttler Jacky will be replacing Justin for the Cambodia SEA Games from May 5 to 17 after the 19-year-old ruptured his Achilles tendon during training.
Kenny said Jacky needs to be ready for the challenge, even though the call up came at the last minute as the games is just 22 days away.
“As a player, especially one that is in the national squad, they should have an always-ready mentality because we don’t know when the call to compete will come.
“If we look at the list of shuttlers, Jacky is the next best replacement for Justin. We also have the Sudirman Cup coming in May, so we are already stretching our players.
“We also chose Jacky because the main purpose for the SEA Games is to send young players and test the backup shuttlers,” he said when met at the launch of the Kuala Lumpur Closed Badminton Championship Jejak Juara today.
After his injury on Monday, Justin had undergone surgery yesterday and will be out from competing for the next six to nine months.
Justin was set to head to Cambodia alongside Leong Jun Hao and Ong Ken Yen for the men’s singles camp.
National singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann said regardless of who replaces Justin, they will need to be mentally prepared to bear the responsibility and be ready to take on the challenge. – The Vibes, April 13, 2023
