KUALA LUMPUR – Whoever is replacing Justin Hoh at the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, next month would need to be mentally prepared, said national singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) announced on Twitter that their men’s singles rising star suffered an Achilles tendon rupture on his left leg during training on Monday, which required him to undergo surgery today.
Choong Hann said what happened to Justin was unfortunate, but at the same time, it opened up an opportunity for another player to step up.
“What happened to Justin was very unfortunate. We have been looking at how we could help Justin with his injury.
“We cannot deny that other players also have dreamed to compete at SEA Games. Whoever will be chosen later, will need to prepare mentally to bear the responsibility and be ready to take on the challenge,” he said when met at Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) in Bukit Kiara here, today.
Former world No. 1 Choong Hann noted that they have some names in mind for the replacement, however, thorough discussion is needed to ensure they make the right call.
He said that the announcement will be made in the next two days.
Choong Hann had also suffered from an injury on his Achilles tendon during the 2006 Thomas Cup quarterfinal match which required him to rest for nearly six months.
The incident affected his performance afterwards when he tried to make a comeback in the Asian Games later that year, but it was reported that he was not in his best form.
Meanwhile, high-performance director Tim Jones confirmed that Justin would be getting his surgery in Malaysia, seeing that is the best option laid out as compared to other countries.
He added that the normal recovery time would take between six to nine months, however, it depends on the surgery.
“We want to make sure the best quality surgeon does the job. We do not want it to be rushed that we have not considered all options.
“We have contacted the doctors in the United Kingdom and other countries to see who the best person would be. We went with Malaysia because the surgeon here has a lot of experience and we received good reports from the work that he has done.
“Also, if we fly someone overseas, especially with an ankle injury, it involves so much of walking you will run the risk of causing more damage and the long wait time to have the surgery,” he said when met at ABM.
Jones also announced the list of players for the Sudirman Cup in China on May 14 to 21, which includes four pairs of mixed doubles players, and aimed to qualify for the semifinals.
They are independent players Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai and Tan Kian Meng-Lai Pei Jing, and national players Chen Tang Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Hoo Pang Ron-Teoh Mei Xing.
He noted, by having four mixed doubles on the list would ensure a fair spread between the national and independent players which would also give them the chance to stake their claim to play.
Other players listed include men’s singles Lee Zii Jia and Ng Tze Yong and men’s doubles pairs Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik and Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi.
As for the women’s team, Goh Jin Wei and K Letshanaa are listed for the women’s singles sector, while Pearly Tan-M Thinaah and Go Pei Kee-Valeree Siow are in the women’s doubles.
Two badminton legends who are currently on the list of BAM’s Technical Advisory Panel – Roslin Hashim and Ong Ewe Hock – will also be accompanying the players to China. – The Vibes, April 12, 2023
