KUALA LUMPUR: National singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong will be afforded all the time he needs to regain his form before making his long-awaited return to competitive action.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has no intention of hastening the 24-year-old's comeback, despite initially eyeing a return at the Malaysia Open (Jan 7-12), the curtain-raiser for the 2025 season.
Coach K. Yogendran said it would be inappropriate for the coaching team to dictate the timeline for his return, and such decisions should rest with Tze Yong himself.
"We, coaches, could conveniently set a date for his comeback, but at what expense? What if something were to happen to him?" said Yogendran.
"It would be Malaysia's loss if anything happened. Tze Yong has done so much for the country, it's only right that we respect his wishes.
"He's also been working very hard, so let's give him the chance. When he comes back, he should return wholeheartedly. We do not want a situation where we pressure him to be ready for tournaments - that would be unfair."
Tze Yong's last competitive appearance was at February's Asia Team Championships, where a recurring lower back injury limited him to just one match.
The setback came a month after he initially injured his lower back during the first round of the Malaysia Open.
Since then, he has undergone two surgeries.
Yogendran expressed satisfaction with Tze Yong's rehabilitation progress, saying his daily training regimen is marked by determination and enthusiasm.
He highlighted Tze Yong's proactive approach in communicating his training requirements to the coaching staff.
"His improvement has been remarkable, particularly from a psychological standpoint," Yogendran said.
"He takes it upon himself to tell us about certain workloads he wants to do extra and explains why. It's very positive because he knows his body best."
The Badminton World Federation granted Tze Yong a "protected ranking" status in May, valid until April next year.
This provision enables him to enter BWF-sanctioned tournaments across all tiers, once fully recovered, based on his frozen world ranking of No. 18 at the time of application.
Should he miss the Malaysia Open, he retains the option to commence his comeback in March, with guaranteed entry into the prestigious All England.
The subsequent six-month window presents opportunities to compete in elite tournaments, including the Malaysia Masters, Indonesia Open, Singapore Open, Japan Open and China Open between March and August.
It remains crucial for Tze Yong to resume competition before his protected ranking expires, as forfeiting this privilege would necessitate rebuilding his ranking through lower-tier tournaments such as International Challenge or International Series events.
Having once achieved a career-high ranking of world No. 14, Tze Yong's extended absence has resulted in his current ranking dropping to No. 101.