KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s fast-rising women’s singles player, Siti Zulaikha Azmi, could miss the upcoming World Junior Championships this month due to an Achilles injury.
Akademi Badminton Malaysia (ABM) junior head coach, Jeffer Rosobin, revealed to Scoop today that the 18-year-old, who is considered a medal contender, complained of pain in her left Achilles after returning from the 2024 Asian Junior Championships in Yogyakarta in July.
Siti Zulaikha, tipped as Malaysia’s future women’s singles sensation, secured two bronze medals at the Asian Championships – one in the mixed team event and another in the girls’ singles.
Although the injury is not as severe as the Achilles tendon rupture suffered by men’s singles player Justin Hoh last year, the national body is taking a precautious approach and avoiding rushing her recovery.
“Yes, I can confirm that Siti Zulaikha sustained an Achilles injury following the Asian junior championships in July.
“She may have pushed herself a bit too hard while reaching two semi-finals (mixed team and individual).
“We can’t say for certain if she will recover in time, and we don’t want to rush her back into action. We can only hope for the best and continue monitoring her recovery,” said Jeffer.
In addition to her two Asian junior medals, Siti Zulaikha, currently ranked 7th in the world junior rankings, has had an impressive season.
In February, the Melaka-born player reached the Sri Lanka International Series’s final; in March, she won bronze at the prestigious Dutch Junior.
She also reached two consecutive semi-finals at the Austrian Open and Bonn International in May.
This year’s World Junior Championships are scheduled to take place from September 30 to October 13 in Nanchang, China. The event will begin with the mixed team Suhandinata Cup, followed by individual competitions.
Malaysia, seeded third, has been drawn in Group C alongside the Netherlands, Estonia, Norway, and Mongolia.
The top teams from groups A to H will advance to the quarter-finals.
Last year, Malaysia claimed the bronze medal in the mixed team event after losing 3-0 in the semi-finals to eventual champions China. — September 5, 2024
