PETALING JAYA: Malaysia – and teen starlet Goh Jin Wei – enjoyed a winning start at the World Junior Badminton Championships to seal a spot in the quarter-finals in Bangkok on Wednesday.
The 13-year-old Jin Wei saw action in Malaysia’s second tie in Group X2 – a 5-0 over the Philippines – but by then the team were already well on their way to the next round.
Malaysia got the start they needed by beating Scotland 5-0, with mixed doubles pair Ong Yew Sin-Yap Cheng Wen needing only nine minutes to dispose of Adam Hall-Heather Macpherson 21-10, 21-14 before 16-year-old Cheam June Wei made it 2-0 with a relatively easy 25-23, 21-10 win over Josh Neil.
Girls’ singles shuttler Ho Yen Mei was stretched to three games by Julie Macpherson before prevailing 21-17, 18-21, 21-14 to hand the team an unassailable 3-0 lead.
Darren Isaac Devadass-Chua Khek Wei and Goh Yea Ching-Joyce Choong then completed the whitewash with straightforward wins in the boys’ and girls’ doubles respectively.
Against the Philippines, Yew Sin-Cheng Wen again combined well for a 21-19, 21-13 win over Paul John Pantig-Eleanor Christine Inlayo and Soong Joo Ven then stepped up to thrash Wilson Joseph Lopez 21-6, 21-13.
Khek Wei-Darren made it 3-0 with a 21-18, 21-14 win over Carlos Antonie Cayanan-Alvin Morada before Jin Wei made her much-awaited debut.
The spunky teenager made the most of her chances by beating Airah Mae Nicole Albo 21-19, 21-15 before Yea Ching-Joyce finished off Joella Geva de Vera-Eleanor Christine Inlayo 21-15, 21-18 in just 25 minutes.
“The team played very well on the first day and everything went according to plan,” said team manager Tan Kim Her. “Jin Wei also did a pretty good job but she can definitely do better.”
Malaysia should beat Bulgaria in their final group match on Thursday and progress to the last eight, where they’ll probably face France.
