KUALA LUMPUR: The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) has picked up world number 156 men’s singles shuttler, Jacky Kok Jing Hong to replace Justin Hoh for the 2023 SEA Games squad.
Justin had to be replaced after he ruptured his Achilles tendon during training on Monday. The 19-year-old had surgery yesterday and is expected to take about six to nine months to fully recover.
“Jing Hong has applied himself well in training. This is the best opportunity for him to step up and rise to the occasion,” Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) singles coaching director Wong Choong Hann said in a brief statement posted on its social media.
The 2023 SEA Games will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia from May 5-17.
Last month, the BAM selected Justin, Leong Jun Hao and Ong Ken Yen to compete in the badminton men’s singles event for the biennial Games.
At the previous SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, the national shuttlers returned with one gold, two silver and one bronze medals. - Bernama