Pemain badminton perseorangan lelaki negara, Iskandar Zulkarnain Zainuddin, mungkin terlepas aksi temasya Sukan SEA Kuala Lumpur, 19 hingga 31 Ogos depan ekoran masih dihantui masalah kecederaan belakang yang serius sejak Januari lalu.
Sehubungan itu, dia sudah pun terlepas beberapa kejohanan kompetitif seperti Kejohanan Badminton Berpasukan Campuran Asia dan Kejohanan Seluruh England.
Dia dijangka berehat panjang sehingga Ogos depan dan masih tidak pasti nasibnya untuk disenaraikan mewakili Malaysia dalam temasya berkenaan.
Ini merupakan kecederaan paling teruk yang pernah dialami Iskandar sepanjang bergelar pemain profesional.
"Dr. Ramlan Aziz berpesan supaya saya jangan terlalu berharap kerana proses pemulihan ini akan mengambil masa.
"Dia mahu saya bersabar dan menerima hakikat kerana ini adalah sebahagian daripada latihan," ujarnya.
Bergelar pemain perseorangan kedua negara selepas Datuk Lee Chong Wei, Iskandar sedar ketiadaannya memberi kesan dalam skuad negara, terutama dalam acara perseorangan.
Ranking dan keterujaan untuk beraksi sudah tidak menjadi keutamaan buat Iskandar, sebaliknya dia mahu memberi penumpuan terhadap proses pemulihannya.
"Tahun ini pasukan Malaysia akan menghadapi banyak kejohanan, antaranya Piala Sudirman.
"Saya harap dapat fokus untuk menghadapi Sukan Asia dan Piala Thomas pada tahun depan."
Shaiful Shamsudin
Mon Mar 20 2017
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