SHAH ALAM: Tan Kean Wei’s mission is clear – to bring back the glory days of Penang badminton in the Malaysia Games (Sukma).SHAH ALAM: Tan Kean Wei’s mission is clear – to bring back the glory days of Penang badminton in the Malaysia Games (Sukma).
And that will be the motivation as Kean Wei and Co take on Federal Territories in the men’s team final as they bid to end their eight-year wait for the gold at the Setia City Convention Centre.
Yesterday, Penang defeated Kedah 3-1 in their semi-final match while FT also won with an identical result against Melaka in another last four tie. Having already beaten FT 3-2 in the group stage, the 20-year-old Kean Wei hopes to reproduce the same form.
Kean Wei then had beaten their top singles player Erfan Majeed Hajibegy 21-15, 21-15.
“I’ve beaten Erfan before and I’m ready and bracing myself for round two,” said Kean Wei.
Securing the final victory would be particularly significant for Kean Wei, as his previous mixed team event in the 2024 Kuching Games concluded with a bronze medal.
In fact, Penang have not won a team event since the 2018 edition. There was no Sukma in 2020 while in 2022, Penang fired blank.
“A gold this time would show how much we’ve progressed.”
Penang will also be out for a double as their women’s side also reached the final after defeating Perak 3-2 in the semi-finals. They will face Selangor in the title match, and Kean Wei hoped for a strong finish.
“Hopefully both teams can get gold. It’ll be great for the state.”
Men: Federal Territories bt Melaka 3-1 (Erfan Majeed Hajibegy bt Yeow Chun Cher 21-9, 21-13; Bryan Jeremy Goonting-Low Han Chen bt Aaron Tai-Ungku Ameer Aliff 21-15, 21-15; Vincent Ma lost to Lee Yen Wei 8-21, 17-21; Damien Ling Tang Le-Ethan Oh Joon Hui bt Syed Harraz Sayed Muzir-Wan Mohd Darwisy (Mel) 17-21, 21-19, 21-15); Penang bt Kedah 3-1 (Tan Kean Wei bt Kee Is Qian 21-11, 21-12; Nixon Ang Jia Shen-Tan Zhi Yang lost to Loh Ziheng-Pang Khai Zhe 14-21, 19-21; Lee Jan Jireh bt See Yi Shin 21-14, 21-17; Chew Jun Wei-Tiow Shi Qin (Pen) win by walkover).
Women: Selangor bt Sabah 3-1 (Eng Ler Qi lost to Saidatul Saadiah Muhammad 21-5, 16-21, 19-21; Clarissa San Yee Wen-Wong Zi Yi bt Chua Jing Xuan-Lim Ke Xuan 21-10, 21-19; Carine Tee Xin Qi bt Cassey Rynn Rompog 21-16, 21-15; Lee Yu Shan-Sheyeon Wong E-Shwen bt Airish Batrishya Ahmad-Alya Nur Syarafana Nasib 21-16, 21-14); Penang bt Perak 3-1 (Oo Shan Zi bt Lee Mun 21-13, 21-14; Lee Joinne-Nicole Tan Pei En lost to Chong Jie Yu-Aina Maisarah 19-21, 21-19, 17-21; Chong Shi Ming (Pen) bt Balqis (Per) 21-7, 21-11; Nicole Chau Xuan-Tan Zhing Hui (Pen) bt Baavanya-Vannee Gobi (Per) 21-14, 21-18).
