Carsten Morgensen (JP/Dhoni Setiawan) (left) - Mathias Boe (Right)

Leading Danish men’s doubles shuttler Carsten Mogensen will return with his signature playing style at the 2016 BCA Indonesia Open Super Series Premier on Wednesday after recovering from brain surgery.

Mogensen, 32, underwent serious brain surgery following a troubling incident during the European Team Championship in Russia in February.
“I have been experiencing the hardest two months in my life. Thanks for the abundant support from friends and family. I am recovering now,” he told a press conference on the sidelines of the badminton tournament at the Istora indoor stadium in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday.

“I don’t know if I will be as good as I was. To find out, let’s have a look at the first game,” said Mogensen, who will pair with his long-time partner Mathias Boe in the Indonesia Open.

In the February incident, Mogensen fell and passed out during a match before being rushed to a hospital in Russia. The doctors managed to spot an intracranial aneurysm in the right hemisphere of his brain that required brain surgery.

Mogensen’s did not participate in the recent Thomas and Uber Cup team competition in Kunshan, China, due to his medical condition. His country, nevertheless, made history by winning the Thomas Cup trophy for the first time.

In Wednesday’s play, Mogensen and Boe will face young Chinese pair Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen.

“I don’t think the surgery would be a good exit for my career. I would prefer to come back to the field,” said Mogensen, who is ranked eighth in the world with Boe. Mogensen will compete for the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

Feeling upbeat, Boe expressed his excitement to play again with Mogensen in Jakarta. He admitted, however, that there might be a possible gap in performance between the Danish pair and their opponents.

“The only way to find out is by playing this game. I am sure that Carsten will catch up,” he said.

The Danish players are not setting a high target for the Indonesia Open as they are focusing on preparing for the Olympics.

Mogensen and Boe have won a number of respected tournaments in the men’s doubles category including the 2015 All England title, a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the gold medal at the 2012 European Badminton Championships in Karlskrona, Sweden.

Coach Lars Uhre, who was also at the press briefing, confirmed that his team planned to use the Indonesian Open as a test for the shuttlers ahead of the Rio Olympics.

“[Our shuttlers will] be playing with a noisy crowd here. It’s a testing ground for them,” he said.

The 2016 BCA Indonesia Open Series kicked off on Monday and will last until Sunday.

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