Hong Kong China overcame early nerves to keep their knockout stage hopes alive with a 3-2 victory over Malaysia in their second Group B tie at the Tsingtao Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships today.
Meanwhile, Chinese Taipeiended Singapore’s campaign, securing a commanding4-1 win that puts them level with hosts China in Group A. The two sides will face off tomorrow to determine the group winner.
Facing a must-win scenario against a youthful Malaysian squad following their 5-0 defeat to Indonesia on the opening day, Hong Kong delivered when it mattered most. Men’s singles player Lee Cheuk Yiu and the women’s doubles pair of Yeung Nga Ting/Yeung Pui Lam played pivotal roles in securing victory after the teams were tied at 1-1.
Mixed doubles duo Tang Chun Man/Ng Tsz Yau (world No.115) caused an upset, defeating world No.15 pair Hoo Pang Ron/Cheng Su Yin to give Hong Kong the lead. However, K. Letsana restored parity for Malaysia with a 21-18, 21-18 win over S. Mehta.
Lee and the Yeung pair then sealed the tie, with Lee defeating Justin Hoh and Yeung Nga Ting/Yeung Pui Lam overcoming Malaysian duo Go Pei Kee/Teoh Mei Xing to keep Hong Kong’s quarter-final hopes intact.
Malaysia must now defeat Indonesia in tomorrow’s crucial Group B encounter to stand a chance of progressing. Indonesia, currently in pole position, remain unbeaten after their dominant 5-0 win over Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, Singapore succumbed despite fielding their their strongest line-up against Chinese Taipei, with Loh Kean Yew and top women’s singles player Yeo Jia Min leading the charge.
World No.15 Yeo lived up to expectations, extending her head-to-head record to 6-0 with a gritty 21-18, 19-21, 21-18 victory over Wen Chi Hsu. However, Loh fell short against world No.15 Lin Chun-Yi, eventually losing 21-13, 16-21, 21-13 in a gruelling 71-minute battle.
Chinese Taipei now top Group A, with China in second place. The two teams will clash tomorrow to determine the group champion.
Group C: Thailand beat Kazakhstan 5-0
Thailand, the 2023 bronze medallists, warmed up for their crucial showdown against group leaders Japan tomorrow with a resounding 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan.
The tie was wrapped up in just 117 minutes, with the new mixed doubles combination of Supak Jomkoh/Sapsiree Taerattanachai securing the fastest win of the day, dispatching Artur Niyanoz/Kamila Smagulova 21-3, 21-8 in just 18 minutes.
Group D: India beat Macau China 5-0
India, also bronze medallists in 2023, also cruised to a 5-0 victory over Macau China, winning all five ties in straight games.
An exciting clash awaits tomorrow as India and Korea, both among the pre-tournament favourites, are expected to field their strongest line-ups in a decisive battle to determine the Group D champions.
The Tsingtao Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships 2025, featuring 12 teams, ends on February 16.
