The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) wanted national men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong to be a medal contender at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, in the absence of world No. 5, Lee Zii Jia.
And he did not disappoint.
He may have lost to the more experienced World No. 10 Lakshya Sen of India, but for a newbie to win a silver medal in a major event is an uplifting accomplishment, especially when sceptics hardly gave him a chance before the start of the Games.
Despite the loss, Ng’s performance was praiseworthy and commendable; something Malaysians can cheer about in terms of expanding our arsenal of young, talented players. We now have another up-and-coming champion in our midst.
The experience Ng gained in the tournament was priceless.
Despite the loss in the final, Ng should savour his earlier wins. He did not have an easy passage to the finals.
He knocked out Singapore’s reigning world champion, Loh Kean Yew, in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the youngster showed great mental fortitude and fighting spirit to edge Srikanth Kidambi of India in the second game, despite losing the first without much fight. In the third game, a determined Ng proved indomitable for Srikanth to qualify for the finals, by winning 13-21, 21-19, 21-10.
I was amazed by some of the near-impossible shots he retrieved in the semifinals and finals. He is made of sterner stuff than earlier imagined, despite nursing a fresh wound near his knee. I like his fighting spirit, especially in the semifinals.
His overall performance is a good start and could serve as a great motivator for this youngster.
BAM should now analyse his strengths and weaknesses, as well as shortcomings, and work on the areas for improvement, including his mental toughness and confidence level.
I feel that he could do with more muscle power – so that his smashes will be at lightning speed.
He’s only 22 and has a long way to go. If he is nurtured well, he could be another Datuk Lee Chong Wei in the making.
Hopefully, this impressive performance by Ng will jolt Zii Jia to strive harder.
Like Zii Jia, Ng should now be driven by the Olympic dream to be a medal prospect in 2024. Nothing is impossible if he puts his mind and soul in the game!
Syabas Ng Tze Yong, we know you gave your best. Malaysia salutes you for winning the silver.
This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Twentytwo13.
The post Syabas Ng Tze Yong, you gave your best! appeared first on Twentytwo13.my.