China finished on top once again at the Badminton Asia Junior Individual Championships, capturing the men’s and women’s singles titles, while Malaysia ended a 19-year wait for mixed doubles gold on the final day in Yatsushiro.
Chinese Taipei claimed the men’s doubles crown and Japan delighted the home fans with victory in an all-Japanese women’s doubles final.
China reclaimed the men’s singles title through Hong Tian Yue, who defeated Indonesia’s Joe Fardhan Rainanda 21-18, 21-19 in a closely fought final that lasted 34 minutes.
Rainanda, who had denied China an all-Chinese final by beating Luo Jing Yu in the semi-finals, pushed Hong throughout the match, but the Chinese player produced the key points at crucial moments to bring the title back to his country after Indonesia’s triumph last year.
The women’s singles final was an all-China affair, with defending champion Yin Yi Qing successfully retaining her crown. Yin overcame compatriot Zhang Yi Xin 21-17, 21-15 in 31 minutes to reassert her status as one of Asia’s leading junior players.
Malaysia, meanwhile, produced one of the stories of the championships by ending a 19-year drought in the mixed doubles. Second seeds Ahmad Redzuan/Low Zi Yu put up a commanding display to upstage China’s Zheng Wei Gang/Li Meng Han 21-15, 22-20 in 42 minutes to lift the title.
The victory made them Malaysia’s first mixed doubles champions at the Asian Junior Championships since Tan Wee Kiong /Woon Khe Wei won the crown in 2007.
Chinese Taipei celebrated success in the men’s doubles, with Huang Tzu-Yuan/Lin Sheng-Min defeating compatriots Chen Ping Hsuan/Lee Wei Ting 21-10, 21-13 in just 24 minutes. The win ended a 15-year wait for Chinese Taipei, whose previous men’s doubles title came in 2011.
The women’s doubles title stayed with the host nation after an entertaining all-Japanese final that lasted one hour and 28 minutes.
Second seeds Aoi Banno/Yuzu Ueno edged Ria Haga/Rio Yamakita 21-13, 9-21, 23-21 in the match of the day, surviving a tense deciding game to give Japan a memorable gold medal on home soil.
FINAL RESULTS
Men’s Singles
Hong Tian Yue (CHN) bt Joe Fardhan Rainanda (INA) 21-18, 21-19
Women’s Singles
Yin Yi Qing (CHN) bt Zhang Yixin (CHN) 21-17, 21-15
Men’s Doubles
Huang Tzu-Yuan/Lin Sheng-Min (TPE) bt Chen Ping Hsuan/Lee Wei Ting (TPE) 21-10, 21-13
Women’s Doubles
Aoi Banno/Yuzu Ueno (JPN) bt Ria Haga/Rio Yamakita (JPN) 21-13, 9-21, 23-21
Mixed Doubles
Ahmad Redzuan /Low Zi Yu (MAS) bt Zheng Wei Gang/Li Meng Han (CHN) 21-15, 22-20
