Latest news with #Jonassen
New Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Tze Yong upbeat as rehab continues in Qatar
KUALA LUMPUR: National men's singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is staying positive as he continues his rehabilitation in Qatar following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery earlier this month. The 25-year-old, who had only just returned to action following a 13-month layoff, sustained another setback at the Malaysia Masters in May and has since been undergoing post-op recovery at the world-renowned Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital in Doha. While no fixed return date has been set, national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen shared that Tze Yong has been responding well to the initial phase of rehab. "I've spoken to him and he's still upbeat," said Jonassen. "Obviously, it's a long journey he's on, but my focus remains the same — give him the best opportunity to return to competitive sport by being supportive. "He's still in Qatar, and I know from the physio that he's putting in the work on the areas that he can. I can't wait to get him back here, maybe not on a daily basis, but at least to have him in our training environment, even if it's just in the gym. "From what I understand, the process is going well and he's in good spirit. And when you have to do a long rehab, staying positive is the key to everything." Tze Yong, who posted a short video of himself doing light drills earlier this week, is expected to remain in Doha for several more weeks under expert supervision. When asked if a tentative timeline has been set for his return to Kuala Lumpur, Jonassen said: "That is up to the doctors. They decide when they feel he's ready, and we will follow the advice of the experts." Tze Yong's latest setback came just four tournaments into his return from back-to-back surgeries. Once ranked as high as world No. 14, he has now slipped to No. 191 — and is no longer eligible for a protected ranking. His long road back will likely rule him out for the remainder of the 2025 season, with hopes pinned on a full recovery by mid-2026.
The Star
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Tze Young returns to light training, gets good support from coach
National men's singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong in action against Hong Kong's Angus Ng Ka Long in the first round of Malaysian Masters at Axiata Arena, Bukit Jalil on Wednesday. — IZZRAFIQ ALIAS/The Star PETALING JAYA: Men's singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is showing positive signs in his recovery from a knee injury, having returned to light training on court. The 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games gold medallist shared an update from Doha, where he has started basic racquet and shuttle drills while seated, as he is still recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery on his right knee, which he underwent in early July. National singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen has been in contact with Tze Yong to check on his condition and offer support during this challenging period. Jonassen also sent words of encouragement to Tze Yong, who is currently undergoing rehabilitation alone in Doha. "I have spoken to him and he's still upbeat. Obviously, he's on a long journey and my focus remains the same - to give him the best opportunity to return to competitive sport by being supportive. "I've heard from the physio that he's putting in the work in the areas he can. He's still in Qatar and I can't wait to have him back here. Even if I don't see him daily, just having him in our training environment, even if it's just in the gym, would be great. "Fingers crossed, from what I understand, the rehab process is going well and he's in good spirits. When you're going through a long recovery, staying positive is key," said Jonassen. However, Jonassen has yet to give a clear timeline for Tze Yong's full recovery, as it will depend on the player's condition and the advice of the medical team. "As for his return, that decision lies with the doctors. They'll determine when he's ready and of course we'll follow the advice of the experts," he added. Tze Yong had previously been sidelined for 14 months following two back surgeries and only returned to competition in April this year after a lengthy layoff. However, after featuring in just three tournaments, misfortune struck again.
The Star
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Chong Wei pleads for patience with Jonassen as he needs time to meet goals
Singles head coach Kenneth Jonassen will not make a hasty decision on the appointment of a new women's singles coach after Jeffer Rosobin's resignation. PETALING JAYA: Badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has called for patience and support for national singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen as he works to develop world-class singles players. Jonassen, who took up the role about eight months ago, came in with a strong reputation, having previously coached Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen and world No. 3 Anders Antonsen. Upon his appointment, he was entrusted with a major task, to groom a player capable of delivering Malaysia's first Olympic gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. However, he is already facing pressure as the current batch of men's and women's singles players in the national set-up have yet to deliver convincing results. Leong Jun Hao, for instance, has climbed slightly to No. 24 in the world rankings this week and has managed to upset a few top players, but his performances remain inconsistent and he has yet to achieve a breakthrough this year. The situation is similar in the women's singles camp, which is currently led by national No. 1 K. Letshanaa. Chong Wei, however, has stepped up in defence of the Danish coach, saying Jonassen has a clear vision and good ideas for improving the singles department but the process will take time. Ideally, Chong Wei believes Jonassen should be given a full Olympic cycle to implement his training programme and show whether it can produce the desired results. 'I've met him and we discussed how we can help our top singles players. He has some very good ideas. 'But we need to give him time — not a month, not even a year. He should be given at least one full cycle. 'That means four years. Only then can he implement his plans and hopefully deliver the results we want. He's only been here for less than six months. 'It's like raising a child — even learning to walk takes a year. Producing a world champion takes far longer," said Chong Wei. Chong Wei shared his thoughts when met by reporters after being conferred the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN), which carries the title Datuk Seri, during the 2025 Penang State Awards ceremony held in conjunction with the 84th birthday celebration of Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ramli Ngah Talib yesterday. Also honoured was Badminton Association of Malaysia president Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who received the Darjah Panglima Pangkuan Negeri (DPPN), which also carries the title Datuk Seri. Sports Commissioner Suhardi Alias was among the recipients of the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri (DSPN), which comes with the title Datuk.
The Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Lee Chong Wei backs Jonassen to rebuild Malaysia's badminton singles squad
NATIONAL badminton legend Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei has called for patience as coach Kenneth Jonassen works to rebuild Malaysia's struggling men's singles squad. Jonassen, who took over as national men's singles coach and Director of Singles Coaching at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (ABM) six months ago, needs time to implement his plans effectively. Lee stressed that expecting immediate results would be unrealistic. 'I've met and spoken with him about how he can contribute to men's singles in Malaysia. He has great ideas, and I agree with his proposals and plans. We just can't expect instant results because this isn't a one-month or one-year process,' he said. The former world number one highlighted that at least one full four-year cycle is needed to assess Jonassen's impact. 'Give him room to adapt to the local culture and to rebuild the team. It's like a newborn child – even learning to walk takes a year, let alone producing a world champion,' Lee added. His comments came after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) award from Penang Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib. Lee also addressed concerns raised by former national coach Wong Tat Meng, who warned of a potential singles crisis due to weak youth development. Malaysia's junior squad recently underperformed at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Solo, Indonesia. Lee acknowledged the worrying state of men's singles, with only Lee Zii Jia showing promise after recovering from injury, while Ng Tze Yong remains in treatment. 'We only have Lee Zii Jia, who's just recovered from injury, and Ng Tze Yong, who is still undergoing treatment in Doha. Their performances are still inconsistent, and the same goes for Leong Jun Hao, whose form has been up and down,' he said. - Bernama
Barnama
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Barnama
Give Jonassen Time To Rebuild Malaysia's Singles Line-up
GEORGE TOWN, July 30 (Bernama) -- National men's singles coach and Director of Singles Coaching at the Badminton Association of Malaysia (ABM), Kenneth Jonassen, should be given sufficient time to implement his plans and bring about change to the national singles squad, according to Datuk Seri Lee Chong Wei. The Malaysian badminton legend said Jonassen, who has only been in the role for six months, needs time to adapt and rebuild the strength of a men's singles line-up that is currently in a critical state. 'I've met and spoken with him (Jonassen) about how he can contribute to men's singles in Malaysia. He has great ideas and I agree with his proposals and plans. We just can't expect instant results because this isn't a one-month or one-year process. bootstrap slideshow 'At the very least, one full cycle – four years – is needed before we can gauge the effectiveness of his plans. Give him room to adapt to the local culture and to rebuild the team. It's like a newborn child – even learning to walk takes a year, let alone producing a world champion,' he said. He was speaking to reporters after receiving the Darjah Gemilang Pangkuan Negeri (DGPN) award, which carries the title Datuk Seri, from the Yang Dipertua Negeri of Penang, Tun Ramli Ngah Talib, in conjunction with the 84th birthday celebration of the Penang Governor, here today. Lee, 43, was responding to a newspaper report quoting former national coach Wong Tat Meng, who warned that Malaysia could face a singles crisis if immediate action isn't taken to address the weaknesses in the country's youth player development system. Wong, 58, gave this stern warning after witnessing the underwhelming performance of Malaysia's junior squad at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships (BAJC) in Solo, Indonesia, recently. Commenting further, Lee said the current state of the men's singles is worrying, with a significant gap between Malaysian players and the world's top contenders. Lee said only Lee Zii Jia currently shows potential, having recently returned from injury, while Ng Tze Yong is undergoing treatment in Doha.
