Jasmine Hamza with star trainer Lian Ying Zhang in Denmark. © SBS

After cruciate ligament surgery: Yasmine Hamza is back

Yasmine Hamza would actually have liked to play in Paris this week, but a cruciate ligament injury at the end of October put a stop to her plans. On Sunday, the 20-year-old will celebrate her comeback at a Grand Prix tournament in Mals. More than ever, Hamza wants to be the first South Tyrolean to compete in badminton at the Olympics. The goal: Los Angeles 2028.

August 02, 2024

From: pm/sn

Of course she is following the Olympic tournament, says Hamza. "When I saw my teammate Giovanni Toti become the first Italian to win a game at the Olympics, I was obviously sad that I wasn't allowed to take part. But I also saw that there were players there that I could beat. I think the injury has made me want to go to the Olympics even more than before," says Hamza. As a reminder: when Hamza was injured, she was in a qualifying spot for Paris.

The operation by Dr. Florian Perwanger in the City Clinic at the beginning of November went just as smoothly as the rehabilitation. "But the beginning was hard. I had to get around with crutches for a month and a half, the muscle mass was gone. It was not easy to stay patient. Emotionally, it was a rollercoaster ride," says Hamza. Since the beginning of May, South Tyrol's most successful badminton player (20 medals at world ranking tournaments, including 4 gold) has been back in full badminton training. "I think that technically and physically I am even better now than before.

Hamza has already been to Denmark with star coach Lian Yong Zhang, the coach of Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. She can hardly wait to return to tournament action. It starts on Sunday in Mals. She will see where she stands at the world ranking tournament from September 5th to 8th in Slovenia. In any case, she wants to get back into the top 90 of the world rankings - and play at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.