PETALING JAYA: A first big test awaits coach Jeffer Rosobin.
Can the Indonesian coach help Malaysia end a six-year wait for a title in the World Junior Championships from Sept 30-Oct 13 in Nanchang, China, just in a year since he arrived here?
It’s possible based on his charges positive outing in the Asian Junior meet in July, where the team won a silver and three bronze medals in Yogyakarta.
Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing emerged as the best performers in the tournament as they won silver in the boys’ doubles and helped the team win bronze in the mixed team event.
The other two bronze medals were delivered by Siti Zulaikha Azmi in the girls’ singles and Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting in the girls’ doubles.
Aaron-Khai Xing, Zulaikha and Xin Yee-Carmen are likely to be Malaysia’s best bets again for medals in the world junior meet.
All three representatives will be competing in their last world junior meet before fully focusing on their senior careers.
Malaysia last won a world junior title through Goh Jin Wei in the girls’ singles in 2018.
The Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) had appointed Jeffer as the junior head coach last November and he will be out to repay their faith once again.
“Preparations so far for the World Junior Championships have been going well,” said Jeffer.
“We are keeping the players focused and making sure they will be fully ready for the tournament.
“We will be selecting almost the same team as in the Asian Junior meet. I hope the players will be more confident after their performance in Yogyakarta.
“The experience gained there will also hopefully help the players in the world junior meet,” added Jeffer.
The mixed team event will be held first from Sept 30-Oct 5 followed by the individual event from Oct 7-13.
In the mixed team event, Malaysia have been given a favourable group stage draw after the team were placed in Group C along with Holland, Estonia, Norway and Mongolia.
Only the team that finish first in the group will progress to the quarter-finals.
In last year’s edition in the United States, Malaysia won three bronze medals through Aaron-Bryan Goonting (boys’ doubles), Low Han Chen-Chong Jie Yu (mixed doubles) and the mixed team.
