PETALING JAYA: Low Zi Yu has emerged as one of Malaysia’s most versatile young shuttlers, but who she will partner next remains an open question.
Junior women’s doubles coach Amelia Anscelly is well aware of the 16-year-old’s ability to adapt quickly to different partners.
But Amelia does not want to get ahead of any decision, with Zi Yu’s future plans set to be discussed together with women’s doubles head coach Rosman Razak and national doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky.
“I will leave it to the senior coaching team to decide on the plans for Zi Yu,” said Amelia.
“I don’t know yet what the plans are moving forward, but I believe coach Rosman has a good plan. Anything can happen. Coach Rosman knows better what is best when the time comes to use Zi Yu,” said Amelia.
Zi Yu and Genevie Lim made history by becoming Malaysia’s first girls’ doubles world junior champions after beating Japan’s Nijika Kamata-Shizuku Kashio 15-7, 9-15, 15-12 in Cairo on Saturday.
What made their achievement even more impressive was that the pair had only been formed four months earlier, just a week before leaving for the Asian Junior Championships in Yatsushiro, Japan, where they went on to win bronze.
It was not the first time Zi Yu had been asked to adjust to a new partner at short notice.
Last year, she lost regular partner Dania Sofea Zaidi a month before the World Junior Championships in Guwahati after Dania suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
Zi Yu was then paired with Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan and the makeshift combination still managed to reach the final before finishing runners-up.
Before that, Zi Yu-Dania had also reached the final of the 2024 World Junior Championships in Nanchang.
With Dania now back from injury, Noraqilah regularly partnering Zi Yu at senior level and Genevie emerging as another option, the coaching team now have several choices to consider.
Zi Yu has also shown her versatility in mixed doubles, having won the Asian junior title with Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal.
Although the pair could not repeat that success at the World Junior Championships after going out in the last eight, Zi Yu’s ability to adapt across different partnerships has made her a valuable asset for the national set-up.
