Solid combo: Loh Ziheng-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan captured the national Under-18 title in April.
PETALING JAYA: National Under-18 mixed doubles champions Loh Ziheng-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan will lead the team for the Badminton World Junior Championships which starts next Monday in Guwahati, India.
Based on the team list released by the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) yesterday, Ziheng-Noraqilah, who captured the Under-18 title in April, have unsurprisingly been selected for the tournament.
The pair will be Malaysia’s best hope for a medal in the absence of last year’s silver medallist Dania Sofea Zaidi, who was forced to miss the tourney after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in her knee in August.
The others selected in the team this time are Ayu Fu Sheng, Razeeq Danial Roslie, Kong Wei Xiang, Lim Boon Le (boys’ singles), Eng Ler Qi, Oo Shan Zi, Lim Zhi Shin, Low Zi Yu (girls’ singles), Tan Zhi Yang, Datu Anif Isaac, Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal, Damien Ling, Mohd Shazmir Irfan, Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim (boys’ doubles and mixed doubles); Lee Joinne, Nur Aina Hatta, Nicole Tan, Nicole Chau, Teh Xin Ying, Teh Si Yan (girls’ doubles and mixed doubles).
The young shuttlers will be out to make amends after returning home empty-handed from the Asian Junior Championships in Solo, Indonesia, in July.
The mixed team event will be held from Oct 6-11, followed by the individual event from Oct 13-19.
In the mixed team event, Malaysia have been placed in Group C with Australia, Canada and Slovenia.
Only the group winners will progress to the quarter-finals.
In last year’s edition, Malaysia won gold in the boys’ doubles through Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing, silver in girls’ doubles through Dania-Zi Yu and bronze in the mixed team.
