Malaysia sailed into the quarter-finals in the Pembangunan Jaya Raya Badminton Asia Junior mixed team championships after winning all their three group matches.
A 5-0 whitewash of Vietnam in their third match at Jaya Raya Sport Hall in Bintaro on Sunday morning saw Malaysia top the four-team Group B before playing Singapore later in the evening to complete their group fixtures.
Malaysia rested newly crowned Asean Schools champion Goh Jin Wei who played in the 4-1 and 5-0 win over Myanmar and Macau respectively in the opening matches on Saturday.
Instead, coach Kwan Yoke Meng fielded Eoon Qi Xuan in the women’s singles and Qi Xuan, who finished runners-up to Jin Wei in the Asean Schools meet in Singapore and she did not disappoint with a 21-4, 23-21 win over Tran Thi Phuong for Malaysia’s third point.
Malaysia got their first point through Chang Yee Jun-Peraly Tan Koong Le in the mixed doubles. The Malaysians, however, were taken the full distance before prevailing 21-10, 24-26, 21-19 in 35 minutes.
Leong Jun Hao gave Malaysia their second point when he won his men’s singles against Tran Quang Dinh 21-17, 21-12.
Malaysia completed the rout by taking, both, the men’s and women’s doubles. Men Wei Chong-Ng Eng Cheong outplayed Le Thanh Lam-Nguyen Hai Dang 21-10, 21-18 in the men’s doubles before Tan Sueh Jeou-Toh Ee Wei nailed the fifth point in the women’s doubles with a 21-13, 21-14 win over Pham Ngoc Bich-Tran Thi Phuong.
“Our battle starts in the quarter-finals and much will depend who we meet in the last eight,” said Yoke Meng.
Winning six out of the seven gold medals in the Asean Schools Championships is a big boost to the team in Jakarta and Yoke Meng hopes Malaysia will ride on the success.
Malaysia last won the Asian Junior mixed team gold in 2009. China have won the title four times in a row but the defending champions are not seeded in this year’s championships.
South Korea, runners-up to China the last four years are the top seeds with hosts Indonesia seeded second. Thailand and Malaysia are seeded third and fourth respectively. – By Rizal Abdullah
RESULTS (Malaysia only)
GROUP B
Malaysia beat Vietnam 5-0
(Malaysia first)
Men’s singles
Leong Jun Hao beat Tran Quang Dinh 21-17, 21-12
Men’s Doubles
Man Wei Chong-Ng Eng Cheong beat Lam Le Thanh-Nguyen Hai Dang 21-10, 21-18
Women’s Singles
Eoon Qi Xuan beat Tran Thi Phuong Thuy 21-4, 23-21
Women’s Doubles
Tan Sueh Jeou-Toh Ee Wei beat Pham Ngoc Bich-Tran Thi Phuong Thuy 21-13, 21-14
Mixed Doubles
Chang Yee Jun- Pearly Tan Koong Le beat Nguyen Xuan Manh-Pham Ngoc Bich 21-10, 24-26, 21-19
Other results
Group B
Singapore beat Myanmar 3-2
Group C
Japan beat Philippines 5-0
Thailand beat Kazakhstan 5-0
Group D
Indonesia beat Hong Kong 5-0
Chinese Taipei beat Nepal 5-0
