KUALA LUMPUR: The National Sports Institute (NSI) has recommended that the BA of Malaysia (BAM) closely monitor Ng Tze Yong's condition in the first 10 days following his pain relief jab before making any drastic decisions about the player's future.
It has been revealed that the injury suffered by the men's singles player at the recent Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC) is not related to the one he experienced in the first round of the Malaysia Open last month.
BAM head of medical Ooi Yu Hang said Tze Yong's latest injury is associated with his spinal disc.
"This latest injury is not from the Malaysia Open last month. Tze Yong has recovered from that.
"This new injury is related to his spine; there's some issue with his disc.
"The NSI doctors have suggested we wait and monitor how Tze Yong responds to a pain relief jab he took during the BATC.
"For now, Tze Yong is mainly focusing on rehabilitation, strengthening his muscles, and undergoing light skill training," said Yu Hang at Academy Badminton Malaysia in Bukit Kiara today.
As it stands, Tze Yong's chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics in July appear bleak.
After retiring in the first round of the Malaysia Open, the Johor-born player has yet to play in a World Tour event this year.
BAM has withdrawn the 24-year-old from next week's Super 300 German Open.
Given these latest developments, Tze Yong also looks doubtful for the French Open and All England next month.
The one-year Olympic qualifying period ends in April.
A country is allowed two singles players at the Olympics if both are in the top 16 of the Race to Paris standings at the end of the qualifying window.