Badminton: Selangor juniors retain title in style
News 9:46 AM
KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor put up an emphatic show to beat Penang 7-3 to retain the 100Plus national junior inter-state badminton championship crown at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara here yesterday.
Team manager Mohd Shukri Salleh said that the team were banking on the singles players to deliver the goods in the final and they did what was expected of them.
“Our strength is in the singles where we set the target of winning four of the six matches. And the players did what was expected,” he said.
“From there, we just needed to win two doubles and a surprise did come from the Ayup brothers, who won their match. Their victory lifted the morale of the team and the belief that we will retain the title. The players were just superb,” he said.
Misbun Ramdan Misbun sets things going when he won the first boys’ singles match, beating Goh Chiap Chin 21-13, 21-10.
National shuttler Tee Jing Yi pulled a point back for Penang with a 21-4, 21-6 win over S. Renuka in the girls’ singles.
And after the next two singles matches, the score stood at two-all. However, the Under-12 players were the trump card for Selangor when R. Sathiestharan and A.K. Bhirentha won the boys’ and girls’ singles matches respectively to give the defending champions a 4-2 advantage.
Then came the Ayup brothers, Mohd Haqiem and Mohd Azriyn, who rebounded from their two previous losses against Negeri Sembilan and Malacca, to beat Yew Hong Kheng-Tan Yip Juin 23-21, 22-20 to put Selangor 5-2 ahead.
The girls’ doubles pair of Chew Huay Han-Chiam Xue Qi lifted Penang hopes of a fightback when they beat Yang Li Lian-Yap Harn Xin but there was no denying Selangor from grabbing the title when they won the next two matches in the boys’ and girls’ doubles.
In the playoff for third place, Malacca went the distance to secure a 6-5 win over Perak.
Selangor bt Penang 7-3: Misbun Ramdan bt Goh Giap Chin 21-13, 21-10; Renuka Subramaniam lost to Tee Jing Yi 4-21, 6-21; Soong Joo Ven bt Teh Sheen Yale 21-10, 21-8; Crysvia Lim lost to Cheah Yee See 10-21, 16-21; R. Sathiestharan bt Cheam June Wei 21-12, 21-15; A.K. Bhirentha bt Cheah Yee Chek 21-8, 21-8; Nur Mohd Haqiem Ayup-Nur Mohd Azriyn Ayup bt Yew Hong Kheng-Tan Yip Jiun 23-21, 22-20; Yang Li Lian-Yap Harn Xin lost to Chew Huay Han-Chiam Xue Qi 23-25, 21-12, 18-21; Soo Tek Zhi-Woon Mun Chun bt Lim Ming Chuen-Teoh Khai Siang 21-18, 21-14; Adlina Wahab-Jacqueline Ong Yan Jun bt Ang Ferng Ying-Joyce Choong Wai Chi 21-17, rtd.
■ THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF
Malacca bt Perak 6-5: Lim Yu Sheng lost to Wong Kin Yik 11-21, 18-21; Liew Yuen Huey lost to Syarifah Noor Azureen 18-21, 15-21; Tai An Khang bt Mohd Shahireen Shaharuddin 21-12, 16-21, 21-18; Lee Meng Yean lost to Chin Kah Mun 17-21, 17-21; Sim Gua Zheng bt Chin Wai Kin 21-19, 11-21, 21-18; Lim Ying Xuan lost to Lee Ying Ying 12-21, 5-21; Ow Yao Han-Tay Kok Hau bt Wong Wei Hong-Kong Chee Yoong 21-18, 13-21, 21-16; Ong Boon Hui-Yvonne E Chia Ling lost to Teh Li Yen-Jenky Kho Chee Wan 10-21, 19-21; Tai An Khang-Chong Yee Han bt Chan Ren Chong-Lee Jia Zhen 21-11, 22-20; Boon Wei Ying-Yap Cheng Wen bt Raja Nurnina Qamarina-Kong Kah Yan 21-15, 21-16; Tay Kok Hau-Maggie Lim Pei Chi bt Chan Wan Ran-Jason Loo Koon Seng 21-16, 21-18.