PETALING JAYA: National No. 1 singles shuttler Leong Jun Hao will be out for another revenge mission in the individual competition at the Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium
The 26-year-old Jun Hao has received a first round bye but his first real test will be in the third round, most likely against Alwi Farhan of Indonesia.
Jun Hao should win his second round match against Mongolia’s Batdavaa Munkhbat today.
Alwi, who did well to win his game against Li Shifeng that saw Indonesia eventually upset China 3-2 in the men’s team final tie, will face homester Kenta Nishomoto in his second round match today.
The Malaysian had lost to Alwi in the SEA Games singles final in Thailand in 2025.
He has already accomplished an unfinished business earlier in the team quarter-finals tie against Indonesia.
Jun Hao had upstaged world No. 1 Jonatan Christie of Indonesia in the first singles for the first time this year, after losing three times.
Despite his win, and also the victory of Aaron Chia-Tee Kai Wun in the second doubles, Malaysia went down fighting 2-3.
If Jun Hao wins against Alwi, it will only get tougher as he is the same lower half with second seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn of Thailand and other seeded players Li Shifeng of China (7th) and Chou Tien-chen of Taiwan (3rd).
Tricky Ayush Shetty of India is also in the same half.
Justin Hoh made it to the second round without raising a sweat after his first round opponent Panitchaphon Teeraratsakul of Thailand withdrew.
The others in the top half with Justin are top seed Jonatan, Shi Yuqi of China (4th), Lakshya Sen of India (8th), and Kodai Naraoka (5th).
