Melaka’s Koh Zaenn-Eva Jane Lian will be relying on their winning chemistry when they make their Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC) Grand Finals debut in December, after emerging as the Girls’ Under-13 Doubles champion at the AJBC 2026 Qualifying Round 8 in Melaka recently.
The pair of 13-year-olds kept their state flag flying high in Melaka. After dropping the first game, they recovered, thanks to their strong understanding, to defeat Yew Xin Hui and Yew Xin Min of SMK Taman Selesa Jaya 2 with a final score of 8-15, 15-7, 15-8.
“Since we paired up a year ago, we have not trained that much together but we have good chemistry. We have an understanding and that makes the difference in our partnership,” said Zaenn.
The SMJK Tinggi Cina Melaka student aims to sweep both the singles and doubles events at the 2026 Grand Finals, replicating her success at the Melaka Qualifying Round where she defeated her doubles partner, Eva Jane Lian 15-10, 15-12 to wrest the Girls’ Under-13 Singles title.
Jane, who was also a semi-finalist at this year’s Junior Elite Tour (JET) One with Zaenn, noted that their respective strengths make them a good combination.
“Because of Zaenn’s height she covers the back well while I cover the front and near the net,” said Jane, who hails from SMK Paya Rumput. “I hope we will make a strong impression at the Grand Finals.”
Meanwhile, Ivy Liau Xin Yi of SMK Setia Alam said her ability to adapt made the difference as she netted wins in the Girls’ Under-15 Singles and then the Doubles with partner Adiq Puteri Waheeda from SM Sungai Choh.
Ivy was stretched by Adiq Puteri 15-4, 6-15, 15-12 for the Girls’ Under-15 Singles crown while in the Doubles, the pair overcame Goh Wen Xuan of SMK Kepong Baru and Law Kai Ling from Kuen Cheng High School 12-15, 15-6, 15-7.
“In the Singles final against Adiq Puteri, I played long rallies as I knew her game quite well. In the Doubles, the gameplan was to be patient and look for opportunities,” said Ivy. “It was challenging playing two finals that stretched into three games, but I’m glad I did not give up.”
The fifth edition of the AJBC 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 list of winners from the AJBC 2026 Qualifying Round 8 is attached.
