Joo-bong’s gamble to split Japan’s doubles pair almost pays off


Close: Japan’s Yuta Watanabe (left) and Keigo Sonoda in action against China’s Li Junhui and Liu Yuchen. They lost 21-17, 19-21, 20-22 to give China a 3-1 victory in the Thomas Cup final. — AP

JAPAN’s head coach Park Joo-bong took a gamble by splitting the men’s doubles pair and it almost worked.

Scratch pair Keigo Sonoda-Yuta Watanabe gave their all but it was not enough to beat world No. 4 Li Junhui-Liu Yuchen as they went down fighting 21-17, 19-21, 20-22 in a thriller yesterday.

Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM5/month

Billed as RM5/month for the 1st 6 months then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Sport , badminton , japan , thomas

   

Next In Badminton

Thomas Cup: Malaysia defeat Algeria 5-0, take on Denmark next
Uber Cup: Malaysia lose to Taiwan 1-4
It’s a gigantic effort to end Uber Cup drought, but Gregoria’s up for it
World champs Min-hyuk-Seung-jae eye quick rebound after recent hiccups
In-form Antonsen promises he won’t let Denmark down
Jun Hao shows other singles can also step up besides Zii Jia
Debutant shows nerves of steel to prevail after being thrust into action
Zii Jia and Co hammer Hong Kong 5-0 for a promising start in Thomas Cup Finals
Formidable China team aiming to steal show in Panda Land
Choong Hann’s silence a sign of Hong Kong’s determination

Others Also Read