PETALING JAYA: Junior mixed doubles coach Hazwan Jamaluddin could not have asked for a better reward than seeing Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal-Low Zi Yu end Malaysia's 19-year wait for the Asian Junior Championships mixed doubles title on Sunday (July 5).
The decision to reunite Redzuan and Zi Yu at the start of the year had already shown promise after they reached the semi-finals of the Dutch Junior International in Haarlem in February before finishing runners-up at the German Junior in Lüdinghausen a week later.
Although Zi Yu had since been competing regularly on the senior circuit while Redzuan partnered Teh Si Yan, the pair quickly rediscovered their understanding after reuniting for the Asian Junior Championships.
Although they had not played together for three months, Redzuan and Zi Yu quickly rekindled their partnership.
They looked in sync during the mixed team event before capping off their campaign by beating China's Zheng Weigang-Li Menghan 21-15, 22-20 in the mixed doubles final.
"I'm extremely grateful and proud. After 19 years of waiting, I finally had the chance to witness Redzuan and Zi Yu end the drought.
"This success is the result of their hard work, the commitment of the entire team and the support of everyone involved. I hope this achievement will inspire them to continue achieving even greater success in the future," said Hazwan.
Hazwan also credited Zi Yu for playing a crucial role in helping Redzuan execute their game plan during the victory over the Chinese pair.
"They played very well today. The only setback came in the second game, when they became a little impatient and were drawn into their opponents' rhythm. After the mid-game interval at 11 points, they understood what they needed to do and adjusted their game.
"Zi Yu also played an important role in setting up the right opportunities for Zul to finish off the rallies and win points."
The last Malaysians to lift the mixed doubles crown were Tan Wee Kiong-Woon Khe Wei when Kuala Lumpur hosted the championships in 2007.
The victory also ended Malaysia's eight-year wait for a gold medal in any event at the tournament since Leong Jun Hao won the boys' singles title in Tangerang, Indonesia, in 2017.
Malaysia finished the Asian Junior Championships with one gold and one bronze medal, with Zi Yu also winning the bronze in the girl's doubles alongside Genevie Lim.
