It has been two months of glorious badminton for Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei – winning the Youth Olympic Games gold in Buenos Aires and regaining the women’s singles gold in the World Junior Championships which ended in Markham, Canada on Sunday.
The 18-year-old regained the world junior title she first won in Lima, Peru in 2015 to add a new chapter to her illustrious badminton career punctured with many heartbreaks in her ups and downs in the shuttle sport.
It does not matter that she was not able to help Malaysia regain the Mixed Team title in Markham after a 3-1 defeat to China, the defending champions, in the quarter-final – a defeat which could have probably turned into victory if she only she had her women’s singles match against Wang Zhiyi. The Chinese won 21-19, 21-14.
Malaysia last won the Mixed Team gold in 2011 in Chinese Taipei.
Wang Zhiyi is the player she defeated for the Youth Olympics women’s singles gold with a 16-21, 21-13, 21-19 scoreline to become the first Malaysian to win the gold (in the Youth Olympics).
Jin Wei seeded third in Markham, needed only 31 minutes to clinch the gold and this she did in style with straight games 21-13, 21-11 win over Denmark’s Line Christophersen – the precious gold she will cherish for the rest of life.
In the world junior championships in Bilbao, Spain in 2016 the Malaysian could only reach the last 16 but clinched the bronze medal in the same meet held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
In Markham, Jin Wei ousted China’s Wang Zhiyi in the semi-finals with a 21-9, 21-13 which turned out to be a confidence booster in the final.
Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei failed to make it a double joy for Malaysia when they could only manage a silver in the women’s doubles final. The Malaysians lost 16-21, 16-21 to top seeds Liu Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting of China in 44 minutes.
This is the second time the Malaysian pair settled for a silver in a major meet. In July this year, Pearly Tan-Ee Wei lost 12-21, 16-21 to Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Ribka Sugiarto in the Pembangunan Jaya Raya Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Bintaro, Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Thailand top seed and Asian Junior runners-up Kunlavut Vitidsarn retained his men’s singles crown with a 21-9, 21-11 win over Japan’s unseeded Kodai Naroka in the final in 43 minutes.
China’s Asian Junior champions Di Zijian-Wang Chang took the men’s doubles title with a 21-9, 22-20 win over Shin Tae-yang-Chan Wang of Korea in 42 minutes.
The mixed doubles final was an all-Indonesian affair with Leo Rolly Carnado-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil defeating second seeds Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-15, 21-15. – BY RIZAL ABDILL
RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
Mixed doubles
Leo Rolly Carnando-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil (Ina) beat rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) 21-15, 21-9
Women’s singles
Goh Jin Wei (Mas) beat Line Christphersen (Den) 21-13, 21-11
Women’s doubles
Lia Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting (Chn) beat Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) 21-16, 21-16
Men’s doubles
Di Zijian-Wang Chang (Chn) beat Shin Tae-yang-Chan Wang (Kor) 21-19, 20-22
Men’s singles
Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) beat Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) 21-9, 21-11
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