April 8, 2025
International
International
MANILA, April 8 — A volcano in central Philippines erupted early this morning, spewing an ash plume 4,000 metres (2.5 miles) into the air and triggering recommendations for school closures in nearby areas.
KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — National men’s singles shuttler Ng Tze Yong is keeping expectations modest for the 2025 Badminton Asia Championships (BAC) in Ningbo, China, as he makes his return to competition after more than a year sidelined by a back injury.
Ng, who last played at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships in Selangor, views BAC 2025—scheduled for April 8-13—as an opportunity to ease back into competitive play.
“I feel my physical condition is around 80 to 90 per cent. The key is to avoid re-injury and make the most of my current form,” he told reporters after a training session today.
The 24-year-old faces a challenging opening match against 2023 world champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand, who also won silver at the 2024 Olympics and has beaten Ng in both of their previous encounters.
Ng competed in only three tournaments last season before undergoing surgery. His return is crucial to maintaining his world No. 18 ranking, as singles coaching director Kenneth Jonassen previously stated that Ng must play in at least one tournament before April’s end to retain his ranking for another six months.
Failing to do so would see Ng lose all ranking points and drop out of the rankings entirely, requiring him to start over. — Bernama
