It turned out to be a successful journey for Negri Sembilan’s Chew Kye Li when she dominated the Under-13 girls category at the Allianz Junior Badminton Championships 2026 Qualifying Round 4. The 13-year-old Kye Li, from SMJK Chan Wa 2, was triumphant in the U13 singles and doubles finals which concluded in Kuala Terengganu recently.
“I was worried heading into the singles final as I had played against Nur Balqis Khatijah four times previously. I lost just once but she was playing at home and seemed a lot more confident,” said Kye Li, who has been a Negeri Sembilan state player for the last five years.
“I am excited to be going to the For the Grand Finals, but I will have a lot of work to do as I will be playing in two events. It will be a lot harder in the Grand Finals.”
In the girls’ Under-13 doubles final, the Kye Li- Pei Xuan combination proved to be too strong for Ines Seah-Nur Balqis Khatijah (SMK Sultan Sulaiman/SMK Sultan Mansor, Terengganu) and won 15-10, 15-10.
“I think there’s a huge gap between us and the other players in the Grand Finals, we have much to do in the coming months,” admitted Pei Xuan. “We know who the top players are at the moment, so there are certain areas which we need to improve, especially in minimising mistakes.”
The fourth Qualifying Round of the AJBC 2026 concluded with a prize-giving ceremony attended by Ms. Joanne Loh, Allianz Malaysia Kuala Terengganu Branch Manager, and En Abdul Hadi Bin Abdul Rahman, Chief Assistant Director, Sports Unit 2, Sports, Co-Curricular and Arts Division, Ministry of Education.
The other Ministry of Education officials in attendance were Ms. Noor Sarah Zul Ain Binti Zulkifli, Assistant Director, Student Talent Development Unit, Student Development Sector, Terengganu State Education Department and Mohd Fadzli Bin Ariffin, Technical Chairman for Badminton Sports Development, Terengganu Schools Sports Council.
The fifth edition of the AJBC, initiated to inspire, develop and celebrate young badminton talents across Malaysia, is organised by Allianz Malaysia Berhad and supported by the Badminton Association of Malaysia and the Sports, Co-curricular and Arts Division, Ministry of Education. In just five years, the AJBC, which does not require any entrance fees from the players, is among the most popular and anticipated junior events in the country.
This year’s AJBC features a total of 10 Qualifying Rounds followed by the Grand Finals in Kuala Lumpur. The finalists in the Under-13 and Under-15 age group categories from each qualifying round will advance to the Grand Finals.
