Shuttler Angus Ng to play first match in 10 months following pandemic outbreak that hobbled world badminton tour
- All Hong Kong players tested twice for Covid-19 since arrival in Bangkok for two Thailand Opens
- Ng aims to reach world tour finals with good results in back-to-back series
Shuttler Angus Ng Ka-long would never have expected to wait such a long time to play his next match when he returned from the 2020 All England Open in Birmingham. Nor would he have expected to compete under such rigorous conditions.
The Hong Kong No 1 will take on Mark Caljouw of the Netherlands in the opening round of the “bubbled” Yonex Thailand Open on Wednesday, his first match in 10 months as the global pandemic outbreak wreaks havoc on the world sporting calendar. In another men’s singles first round match, fast-rising Lee Cheuk-you will meet Abhinav Manota of New Zealand, while mixed doubles pair Tang Chun-man and Tse Ying-suet will take on Sumeeth and Sikki Reddy of India.
Since Ng and his fellow Hong Kong team members arrived Bangkok 10 days ago, they have been tested twice for Covid-19 and mostly isolated in their hotel rooms.
“The organisers have introduced very tight quarantine measures under the bubble set up and it’s understandable,” said the world No 8 Ng, who is almost certain to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games this summer. “We can only stay in the hotel room other than for a brief one hour and 15 minute daily practice session and the same amount of time for physical exercise in the temporary gymnasium.
“All transport from the hotel to the venue is made by designated vehicle and we only train on our own with no contact with other teams.