Ong Ken Yon has secured the final slot for the November playoffs of the 100PLUS National Junior Ranking Challenge 2020 when he fought hard to take the third spot from Group A this morning.
The battle to emerge as the top three best players of the boys’ singles from Group A has been intense over the last few days.
And with Justin Hoh and Jacky Kok Jing Hong already confirmed as the top two players to make the passage to play against the national back up players in November, the pressure was on Ken Yon to take the third and final slot.
There were some anxious moments for Ken Yon when he succumbed to a first set 19-21 defeat but he bounced back to dominate the next two sets 21-16, 21-5 to end the group stage in third place with six points from eight matches played.
On the other hand, V. Poopathi and Anson Cheong will almost certainly fill the bottom two positions in Group A and where they will have to play in the playoffs on 20-23 October 2020 to determine their final rankings.
But Poopathi – who beat 17-21, 27-21 Jimmy Wong this morning – still has a chance of improving his current position provided that he can improve on his two-point haul so far by beating Jacky Kok Jing Heng later today.
And this provided that both Jimmy and also Muhd Fazriq Mohd Razif fail to pick up the point from their final matches this afternoon.
A total of 75 singles players, as well as boys’ and girls’ doubles players under the age of 18-years-old, are at camp at the Juara Stadium in Bukit Kiara from 12-16 October for the group stage of the 100PLUS National Junior Ranking Challenge 2020.
The ranking playoffs have been scheduled for October 20-23 which will determine the final positions of the players in each division.
The top three boys’ singles players and the top two players in the girls’ singles category in each group will be eligible to play in the ‘November playoffs’ – against the national back up players from 3-6 November at the Malaysian Badminton Academy (BAM).
The 100PLUS National Junior Ranking Challenge 2020 is the first competition held behind closed doors involving teenage players.
RESULTS (Morning Session)
7:30am
BS-A – Group Ong Ken Yon – Ong Zhen Yi (19-21 21-16 21-5)
BS-A – Group Justin Hoh – Anson Cheong (21-17 14-21 21-16)
BS-A – Group Muhd Fazriq – Chia Jeng Hon (21-13, 21-17)
BS-A – Group Jacky Kok Jing Hong – Chua Kim Sheng (21-13, 21-11)
BS-A – Group Jimmy Wong – V Poopathi (21-17 21-17)
UPCOMING FIXTURES – 3:00pm
BS-A – Group Ong Ken Yon – Anson Cheong
BS-A – Group Justin Hoh – Chia Jeng Hon
BS-A – Group Muhd Fazriq – Chua Kim Sheng
BS-A – Group Jacky Kok Jing Hong – V Poopathi
BS-A – Group Ong Zhen Yi – Jimmy Wong
