It has been two months of glorious badminton for Malaysia’s Goh Jin Wei – winning the Youth Olympic Games gold in Buenos Aires and regaining the women’s singles gold in the World Junior Championships which ended in Markham, Canada on Sunday.
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The 18-year-old regained the world junior title she first won in Lima, Peru in 2015 to add a new chapter to her illustrious badminton career punctured with many heartbreaks in her ups and downs in the shuttle sport.
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It does not matter that she was not able to help Malaysia regain the Mixed Team title in Markham after a 3-1 defeat to China, the defending champions, in the quarter-final – a defeat which could have probably turned into victory if she only she had her women’s singles match against Wang Zhiyi. The Chinese won 21-19, 21-14.
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Malaysia last won the Mixed Team gold in 2011 in Chinese Taipei.
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Wang Zhiyi is the player she defeated for the Youth Olympics women’s singles gold with a 16-21, 21-13, 21-19 scoreline to become the first Malaysian to win the gold (in the Youth Olympics).
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Jin Wei seeded third in Markham, needed only 31 minutes to clinch the gold and this she did in style with straight games 21-13, 21-11 win over Denmark’s Line Christophersen – the precious gold she will cherish for the rest of life.
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In the world junior championships in Bilbao, Spain in 2016 the Malaysian could only reach the last 16 but clinched the bronze medal in the same meet held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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In Markham, Jin Wei ousted China’s Wang Zhiyi in the semi-finals with a 21-9, 21-13 which turned out to be a confidence booster in the final.
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Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei failed to make it a double joy for Malaysia when they could only manage a silver in the women’s doubles final. The Malaysians lost 16-21, 16-21 to top seeds Liu Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting of China in 44 minutes.
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This is the second time the Malaysian pair settled for a silver in a major meet. In July this year, Pearly Tan-Ee Wei lost 12-21, 16-21 to Indonesia’s Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Ribka Sugiarto in the Pembangunan Jaya Raya Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Bintaro, Indonesia.
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Meanwhile, Thailand top seed and Asian Junior runners-up Kunlavut Vitidsarn retained his men’s singles crown with a 21-9, 21-11 win over Japan’s unseeded Kodai Naroka in the final in 43 minutes.
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China’s Asian Junior champions Di Zijian-Wang Chang took the men’s doubles title with a 21-9, 22-20 win over Shin Tae-yang-Chan Wang of Korea in 42 minutes.
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The mixed doubles final was an all-Indonesian affair with Leo Rolly Carnado-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil defeating second seeds Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-15, 21-15. – BY RIZAL ABDILL
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RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
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Mixed doubles
Leo Rolly Carnando-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil (Ina) beat rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) 21-15, 21-9
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Women’s singles
Goh Jin Wei (Mas) beat Line Christphersen (Den) 21-13, 21-11
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Women’s doubles
Lia Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting (Chn) beat Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei (Mas) 21-16, 21-16
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Men’s doubles
Di Zijian-Wang Chang (Chn) beat Shin Tae-yang-Chan Wang (Kor) 21-19, 20-22
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Men’s singles
Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) beat Kodai Naraoka (Jpn) 21-9, 21-11