KUALA LUMPUR – In a symbolic gesture by national badminton legend Datuk Lee Chong Wei, rising shuttler Ng Tze Yong has been handed the baton to lead Malaysia’s badminton future.
Instead of an actual baton, it was a racquet that was handed from Chong Wei to Tze Yong at the Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil today after the Legends’ Vision exhibition match.
“This is a good memory for Tze Yong. Now that I have retired, he is the Badminton Association of Malaysia’s (BAM) top player.”
Tze Yong took the top spot at the national association after Lee Zii Jia left and became an independent player earlier this year.
“I hope this will give him some luck as an upcoming player and boost his confidence,” said Chong Wei when met with reporters at the arena.
Chong Wei said with Tze Yong spearheading the Malaysian team for the upcoming Commonwealth games after Lee Zii jia pulled out, there is pressure riding on his shoulders.
“I hope he can perform well and get a good result for Malaysia. It is not easy to be the top player in BAM, but he knows how to deal with the pressure.
“He has the potential and I hope he can be successful one day,” added the three-time Olympic silver medallist.
Speaking on Tze Yong’s performance at the Malaysia Open, Chong Wei praised the youngster’s effort at his debut home tournament.
“He played for an hour and half in the first round, even though at the end he was not at 100%.
“Now he knows where his level is at, and he knows his weakness. He just needs to improve and fight for himself.”
Tze Yong exited the Malaysia Open in the first round after losing to higher-ranked Lu Guang Zu from China 21-16, 21-23, 21-18 in what was a display of perseverance in front of his home crowd.
Chong Wei was joined by fellow badminton legends Taufik Hidayat from Indonesia, South Korea’s Lee Yong-dae, and Danish shuttler Peter Gade for an exhibition match before the Malaysia Open semi-finals today.
They were joined on the court with national shuttlers Tze Yong, Pearly Tan, Thinaah Muralitharan and Shaqeem Eiman, along with young players from BAM. – The Vibes, July 2, 2022.
