PETALING JAYA: Shuttler Yap Roy King is eager to return to competition after a brief period on the sidelines because of an injury.
In September, Roy King injured his right ankle while participating in the men’s doubles event with Wan Arif Wan Junaidi at the Kaohsiung Masters in Taiwan.
During the second round, the 22-year-old and Arif were defeated by the Taiwanese pair Ming Che-lu Tang Kai-wei with a score of 18-21, 20-22.
The injury was a setback for Roy King, who had been making steady progress in both the men’s doubles with Arif and the mixed doubles with Valeree Siow.
Currently, Roy King is ranked 60th in the world alongside Arif, and 48th with Valeree in the mixed doubles.
Fortunately, Roy King’s injury is not severe, and he is set to make his comeback at the Korean Masters tournament in Gwangju from Nov 7-12.
“I injured the tendon in my right ankle in Taiwan and needed to rest for a while,” Roy King explained.
“It’s gradually improving, and I can now resume my normal training. I am really excited to compete again next week.”
Throughout this year, Roy King has gained attention by clinching several titles in lower tier competitions. He aspires to leave his mark in higher level tournaments.
In July, the Johor-born player won both the men’s and mixed doubles titles with Arif and Valeree at the National Championships.
Roy King also achieved his first international title with Arif at the Nantes International Challenge in France in June.
Furthermore, he secured an international victory with Valeree at the World Tour Super 100 Indonesian Masters in September.
In May, Roy King demonstrated his versatility by partnering with Cheng Su Yin to win a silver medal in the mixed doubles event at the Cambodia SEA Games.
“I aim to gain experience by participating in higher ranked tournaments with Arif and Valeree,” Roy King stated.
“I also strive to climb as high as possible in the rankings. In the Korean Masters, we plan to perform at our best and aim to defeat higher ranked players.”
Roy King and Arif will commence their campaign in South Korea by facing Che-lu-Kai-wei in the first round.
Additionally, in the mixed doubles, Roy King and Valeree will encounter the Taiwanese pair Lee Jhe-huei-Hsu Ya-ching in the opening match.
