PETALING JAYA: Girls' singles player Ong Xin Ru rose to the occasion to help Kuala Lumpur end an 11-year wait for the Petronas Under-18 National Inter-state Mixed Team Championships title in Kelantan on Saturday (Aug 1).
Kuala Lumpur defeated Kedah 4-2 in the final at the Kelantan BA Hall in Kota Baru.
Mixed doubles pair Tian Ci Yee-Weng Yan Lee gave Kuala Lumpur the perfect start by defeating Mohd Danish Haikal Mohd Noor-Nurin Zahirah Haizal 15-13, 15-11.
However, Kedah levelled the tie when Cheng Yao Teh went down 11-15, 9-15 to Kieshen Sai Rao in the boys' singles.
Xin Ru restored Kuala Lumpur’s lead with a crucial victory, edging Lau Xin En 15-11, 14-16, 15-13 in a gripping one-hour contest.
Xin Ru said she stayed composed throughout the match.
"Although my opponent is younger than me, I just focused on staying calm, taking my time and not putting too much pressure on myself," she said.
Tian Hao Liew then extended Kuala Lumpur’s lead after defeating Joshua Karunagaran 15-11, 15-4 in the second boys' singles match.
Boys' doubles pair Kai Xuan Liew-Meng Fong Wong sealed the title for Kuala Lumpur with a hard-fought 15-8, 14-16, 15-11 victory over Kieshen-Mohd Danish Haikal Mohd Noor.
The girls' doubles was not played as the tie had already been decided.
Selangor claimed the bronze medal with a convincing 4-1 victory over two-time defending champions Penang.
