Singapore: Malaysia’s women’s badminton team experienced it’s own turbulence on Wednesday, as the shuttlers started their SEA Games campaign with two matches down against Vietnam.
Vietnam had taken a 2-0 lead when Lim Yin Fun lost 17-21, 16-21 to Vu Thi Trang and Nguyen Thi Sen beat Ho Yen Mei 21-17, 16-21, 21-17. Fortunately, Amelia Alicia Anscelly/Soong Fie Cho came to the rescue to give Malaysia breathing space with a 21-8, 21-10 victory over Thai Thi Hong Gam/Pham Nhu Thao.
The petite fifteen-year-old third women’s singles shuttler Goh Jin Wei then staged a remarkable fight back to upset the taller Vietnamese opponent with 21-19, 18-21, 21-11 win over Nguyen Thuy Linh to level the tie at 2-2.
Reigning Commonwealth champions Vivian Hoo Kah Mun/Woon Khe Wei then registered the victory for the Malaysian women’s team when they stormed past Vu Thi Trang/Nguyen Thi Sen 21-14, 21-14 to sealed Malaysia’s place in the SEA Games women’s team event semi-finals as they avoided an upset by beating Vietnam 3-2 in Singapore.
Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) technical director Morten Frost Hansen told reporters after the tie that he was not worried with the performance by the first two women’s singles players, because those were part of the learning process. Malaysia will play Indonesia in the semi-finals on Thursday.
