Badminton News: The young Malaysian team has finally regained its pride in the international badminton world by reaching the semi-finals of the team event of the 2023 World Junior Championship in Spokane, USA.
The Malaysian team beat India 3-0 at the Podium in Spokane, Washington, securing at least a bronze medal in the prestigious World Junior Championships tournament, also known as the Suhandinata Cup.
This will be the eighth podium finish for Malaysia since the team event was introduced in the 2000 edition.
After returning to the podium for the first time since 2017, Malaysia aims to go further and try to reach its fifth final.
They will face 13-time champions China this evening (around Saturday 8am Malaysia time).
Malaysia won the title in 2011 and finished second in 2009, 2016 and 2017.
Whatever the outcome, the team led by Eogene Ewe and Ong Xin Yee deserves praise. They overcame enormous pressure to deliver the country’s first significant result in a major junior competition since a disappointing performance in 2019.
The country’s top men’s and women’s singles played a vital role in securing a thumping victory against a strong Indian team. They won the second and third points after Bryan Jeremy Goonting/Chan Wen Tse won the opening mixed doubles match against Sathwik Reddy Kanapuram/Vaishnavi Khadkekar, 21-12, 21-16.
Eogene fended off a tough challenge from Ayush Shetty to win 21-18, 16-21, 21-16, while Xin Yee bounced back to beat Devika Sihag 18-21, 21-16, 21-14.
Acting director of junior development Joanne Quay praised the players’ outstanding performance, praising them for their resilience despite recent adversity, which led to the dismissal of Datuk Misbun Sidek as the team’s head coach junior.
While the draw is certainly favorable, Joanne believes the success so far would not have been possible without the strong determination of the players. Malaysia were lucky to avoid heavyweight teams like China and Indonesia in the quarter-finals of the 2023 World Junior Championships.
“Yes, the luck of the draw plays a role, but the players really excelled this week. They were very determined to prove something,” said Joanne, who is also a junior world champion, winning the mixed doubles title. with Chan Chong Ming in 1998.
“However, India are also a quality team. “They have depth and it’s not easy for us to anticipate their composition,” he added.
Article Tag: Malaysia, India, 2023 World Junior Championships
