Could gel injection help Hong Kong badminton doubles duo beat their nemeses?
- Mixed doubles pair Tse Ying-suet and Tang Chun-man aim for world title but are on collision course with Thai duo they lost to last year
- Tse’s long-term knee injury remains a concern, but she is hoping a gel injected into the joint can help her get the job done
Hong Kong mixed doubles ace Tse Ying-suet is aiming for a different outcome with partner Tang Chun-man in their latest tilt at the World Championships this month – if her troublesome knee permits.
Tse has had a gel-like fluid injected into her left knee in a bid to manage an injury that has haunted her for years.
Now she has to hope it works in time for Tokyo, where the Thai duo who beat Tse and Tang in last year’s championships could await in the quarter-finals.
Her city’s governing body certainly hopes so, after hailing the recent efforts of Tse and Tang on Friday. The pair received 2022 tournament prize money of a shade under HK$63,000 each at the Badminton Association’s AGM, leading the Hong Kong money list from a total of HK$310,249 won last year by the city’s players.
There is no time to rest on their laurels, though, nor to wait for the gel to work its magic, with the global championships approaching between August 22 and 28 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The world No 7 pairing did not slow down after reaching the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics, ending last year with four top-three finishes in seven tournaments, including their second World Championships podium spot in December.