Soong Joo Ven gave his badminton career a big boost when he won the men’s singles title in the Celcom Axiata National Badminton Championships in Ipoh on Saturday.  
 
In the final played at the Perak Badminton Arena, the 81 ranked Joo Ven was crowned the new national champion when former Asian junior champion Leong Jun Hao retired with a foot injury midway through the second game.
 
Joo Ven took the first game 21-13 and was leading 7-1 in the second when Jun Hao quit. Joo Ven’s victory was worth RM10,000.
“This victory means a lot to me. It is a boost to my badminton career and I hope it will be the stepping stone for me to do well and win international tournaments,” said Joo Ven after his win.
In the women’s singles, second-seeded Soniia Cheah retained her title when she defeated top seed Goh Jin Wei, Malaysia’s number one women shuttler. 
It was rather an easy win for Soniia who won 21-10, 21-14. Jin Wei won the Youth Olympics gold and regained her world junior title last year and was the hot favorite for the title but gave a below-par performance in the final.
The men’s doubles final saw Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi keep their momentum to win the final against Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik 21-12, 21-19. In the semi-finals, the champions dumped last year’s champions and Malaysia’s number one pair Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong 13-21, 27-25, 24-22.  
Malaysia’s top-ranked mixed doubles Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying had to go the full distance before prevailing 17-21, 21-13, 21-19 against Hoo Pang Ron-Shevon Lai Jemie in the final. 
The women’s doubles title went to Anna Cheong-Lim Chiew Sin who downed Cheah Yee See-Teo Mei Xing 23-21, 21-17 in the final. – BY RIZAL ABDULLAH
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