PETALING JAYA: The national junior badminton squad bowed out of the World Junior Mixed Team Championships after falling 2-0 to 14-time champions China in the quarter-finals in Guwahati, Assam, on Thursday (Oct 9).
In the first relay match, boys’ singles shuttler Lim Boon Le, who started for Malaysia, lost to Xiao Go Bo 4-9. The defeat continued in the mixed doubles when Loh Zi Heng-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan went down to Chen Jun Ting-Cao Zi Han 7-18.
Malaysia’s hopes then rested on the boys’ doubles pair Damien Ling-Irfan Mohd Shazmir to narrow the gap, but they too were beaten by Chen Jun Ting-Liu Jun Rong 17-27.
Girls’ singles player Oo Shan Zi also fell short, losing to Xu Wen Jing 22-36.
In the girls’ doubles, Low Zi Yu-Noraqilah Maisarah fought hard to stay in contention but were eventually outplayed by Cao Zi Han-Chen Fan Shu Tian 36-45.
The national team tried to mount a comeback in the second relay match, starting on a positive note with boys’ singles player Ayu Fu Sheng, who defeated Liu Yang Ming Yu 9-7.
That momentum carried into the mixed doubles when Tan Zhi Yang-Nicole Tan overcame Jun Ting-Zi Han 18-15.
However, Damien-Irfan, who were again trusted with the boys’ doubles duty, failed to maintain the winning rhythm as they fell to Jun Ting-Jun Rong 22-27.
Following that defeat, the pressure was on the girls’ singles and doubles to turn the tide and force a deciding relay, but both efforts fell short.
Shan Zi, appearing for the second time in the girls’ singles, lost to Wen Jing 32-36, while the girls’ doubles pair Zi Yu-Noraqilah narrowly went down to Zi Han-Shu Tian 43-45.
Malaysia will take on the United States on Friday (Oct 10) in the playoff to determine fifth to eighth placings.
