KUALA LUMPUR – Two national junior pairs ended their 2023 World Junior Championships campaign with a bronze after losing to their respective opponents in the semi-finals in Spokane, United States, yesterday.
In the tournament held at The Podium, mixed doubles pair Low Han Chen-Chan Wen Tse lost 14-21, 14-21, to top seeds China’s Zhu Yi Jun-Huang Ke Xin.
Awaiting Yi Jun-Ke Xin in the final are fellow Chinese pair Liao Pin Yin-Zhang Jia Han, who defeated Jonathan Farrell Gosal-Priskila Venus Elsadai of Indonesia 21-16, 21-16 in another semi-final match.
In the men’s doubles event, Bryan Jeremy Goonting-Aaron Tai also suffered the same fate when they lost to Lai Po Yu-Tsai Fu Cheng from Taiwan in a rubber set, 18-21, 21-15,14-21.
In the final, the sixth seeds will face China’s Ma Shang-Zhu Yi Jun who downed Huang Jui-Hsuan- Huang Tsung-I of Taiwan 21-15, 24-22 in their semi-final encounter.
The last time Malaysia finished on the podium in the mixed doubles event was in 2016, when Chen Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei won the bronze medal.
Meanwhile, Teo Ee Yi-Nelson Heg were the last Malaysians to win the men’s doubles title in the championships when they took home the gold in 2011. – October 8, 2023