PETALING JAYA: Men’s doubles shuttler Mohd Haikal Nazri has come forward to defend himself, stressing that he genuinely suffered a right ankle injury and did not deliberately create an excuse to skip the Swiss Open this week. His explanation came after national men’s doubles head coach Herry Iman Pierngadi expressed his displeasure over the decision by Haikal and partner Choong Hon Jian to withdraw from the tournament. I twisted my ankle and informed the coach (Herry) that I might not be able to perform well if I continued to compete in the Swiss Open. When it happened again, especially after I had already suffered ankle injuries twice, I decided to skip the Swiss Open because the fear is still there,” said Haikal. Haikal revealed that almost every part of his body has suffered injuries in the past, with some even requiring surgery.

Source: The Star March 14, 2026 23:35 UTC