PETALING JAYA: It has been nine years since Malaysia last featured in the mixed team final at the World Junior Championships, and they now have a chance to end that wait in Cairo.
But first, they will have to get past 2024 champions Indonesia in the semi-finals today.
The semi-final will be Malaysia’s toughest test so far, having faced less demanding opposition in the group stage and in Wednesday’s 2-0 quarter-final win over Estonia at the Cairo International Stadium.
National junior doubles coach Hazwan Jamaluddin has been pleased with how the players have performed so far, with Malaysia still unbeaten and yet to drop a point under the relay format.
But Hazwan wants his players to be ready for a much tougher battle against Indonesia, with a place in the final at stake.
“The players we have fielded have all been ready. We can see it in the way they think and the way they stay focused when they play.
“They have to keep that focus and always be ready for the next match if they are selected to play,” said Hazwan.
Malaysia have already achieved their initial target of winning a medal in the mixed team event, with a place in the semi-finals guaranteeing them at least a bronze.
It also made up for last year’s disappointment in Guwahati, where their campaign ended in the quarter-finals against China.
But they now have the chance to go one step further and reach the final for the first time since 2017 in Yogyakarta.
The nine-year wait also included two editions that were not held in 2020 and 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
