The men’s singles, women’s singles, the women’s doubles, and the mixed doubles kept Malaysia’s hopes of medals alive after the completion of the round matches in the Li Ning BWF World Junior Championships in Markham, Canada on Wednesday.
And one player who has surprised and has been delivering is Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin, the only non-Badminton Association of Malaysia player in the team. He played a vital role in Malaysia’s march into the quarter-finals in the mixed team competition although he was not fielded in the 3-1 defeat to champions China.
On Wednesday, Aidil, who hails from Selangor and won the silver medal in the men’s singles in the recent Sukma (National Games) in Perak marched into the third round with another come-from-behind 19-21, 21-17, 21-18 win over Korean hope Hyeon Seung-park in 68 minutes.
The unseeded Malaysian next plays Japan’s Riku Hatono for a place in the quarter-finals after the Japanese upset Canadian 14th seed Brian Yang 21-11, 21-10.
Another unseeded Malaysian still in the fray is Ng Tze Yong who downed 13th seed Lucas Resch of Germany 21-17, 16-21, 21-13. Tze Yong faces a tough fourth-round match against Indonesian hope and second seed Ikhsan Leonardo Emanuel Rumbay who ousted India’s Kiran George 12-21, 21-19, 21-17.
In the women’s singles recently crowned Youth Olympics champion Goh Jin Wei will face Canada’s Wendy Zhang in the fourth round. The 2015 world junior champion ripped through Australia’s Zecily Fung 21-5, 21-6 in 17 minutes to advance.
Another Malaysian women’s singles player Eoon Qi Xuan upset India’s No 8 seed Purva Barve 21-15, 21-10 and will meet Indonesia’s Putri Kusuma Wardani next.
In the women’s doubles medal hopes Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei overcame a tough first game to knock out Thailand’s Benyapa Aimsaard- Peeraya Khantaruangsakul 29-27, 21-15 and will meet Germans Emma Moszczynski-Jule Petrikowski in round four.
The two mixed doubles pairs to advance to the fourth round were Chia Wei Jie-Toh Ee Wei and Choong Hon Jian-Pearly Tan.
Wei Jie-Ee Wei defeated Ratchapol Mukkasasithorn–Pornnicha Suwatnodom 21-12, 15-21, 21-9 and will Germany’s Lucas Resch-Emma Moszczynski while Hon Jian-Pearly Tan beat Japan’s Tsubasa Kawamura -Chihiro Uchiyama 21-12, 21-13. They will face Thailand’s Ruttanpak Oupthong-Peeraya Khantaruangsakul. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
