Yesterday at the 2024 National Badminton Championships, current men’s doubles stars and world top-ten pair, Liang Weikeng and Ren Xiangyu, were unexpectedly defeated 1-2 (13-21, 21-18, 12-21) by the junior national team players Zhu Yijun and Hu Keyuan.
Zhu Yijun and Hu Keyuan shared that facing such seasoned and skilled opponents, they didn’t focus too much on the outcome beforehand. “We just wanted to focus on our own performance,” they said, “even when trailing in the second game, we decided to take it one point at a time.” Reflecting on their 2-1 victory, Zhu Yijun mentioned, “Perhaps we got a bit lucky to win, but it wouldn’t have been surprising if we lost. We simply wanted to learn from them.” Hu Keyuan added that the loss in the World Junior Championship finals taught him a lot, reinforcing the importance of maintaining self-belief.
National junior head coach Jeffer Rosobin is optimistic about the newly crowned world junior champions Aaron Tai and Khai Xing becoming a formidable duo at the senior level.
The pair demonstrated their top seed status in boys’ doubles by defeating the Asian Junior champions from China, Hu Keyuan and Lin Xiangyi, with a score of 21-18, 15-21, 21-18 in an exhilarating final on Sunday. This victory marked Malaysia’s first title in the tournament in six years.
Before them, the last Malaysian champion was Goh Jin Wei, who won the girls’ singles crown in 2018.
Aaron and Khai Xing are the first Malaysians since Nelson Heg and Teo Ee Yi in 2011 to clinch the boys’ doubles title. Following their impressive junior careers, Jeffer is eager for them to evolve into a top-tier pair.
“Aaron and Khai Xing were focused, brave, and consistent, which led them to victory,” stated Jeffer. “I believe they can further enhance their skills at the senior level; they possess the qualities needed to succeed.”
The duo has already shown their potential by winning their first senior title at the Thailand International Challenge in March. They have also begun participating in World Tour Super 300 and 500 competitions this year and are currently ranked No. 72 globally.
Aaron and Khai Xing will compete next in the Malaysia Super 100 tournament, starting today at Stadium Juara.
In addition, Jeffer expressed satisfaction with the performance of the girls’ doubles team, Dania Sofea Zaidi and Low Zi Yu, who secured a silver medal at the world junior championships.
At just 14 years old, Zi Yu and Dania, who turns 17 next month, showcased exceptional maturity in their first international tournament together, reaching the final. The duo achieved a remarkable upset against China’s top seeds, Chen Fan Shutian and Liu Jiayue, in the semifinals, becoming the first girls’ doubles team since Pearly Tan and Toh Ee Wei in 2018 to advance to the final.
Although they lost to Japan’s Ririna Hiramoto and Aya Tamaki with scores of 17-21, 17-21 in the final, their performance was commendable.
“Overall, our players delivered extraordinary performances at this World Juniors,” noted Jeffer. “Zi Yu, only 14, managed to reach the final and win silver. Both she and Dania are incredibly talented and have the potential to develop into an excellent pair in the future.”
Malaysia had a successful campaign at the tournament, also securing a bronze medal in the mixed team event.
In July 2023, Chen Yongrui/Hu Keyuan finished second in the men’s doubles final of the Asian Youth Championships, losing 21-19, 16-21, 13-21 to Ma Shang/Zhu Yijun.
Equipment Used
A970ACE; JETSPEED S 12 II; AYAR; AAYU133/AAYU134
Major Achievements
2024 Asian Youth Badminton Championships Men’s Doubles Champion
2024 Asian Junior Badminton Championships Mixed Team Champion
2024 German Youth Badminton International Grand Prix Mixed Doubles Champion
2024 Holland Youth Badminton International Tournament Men’s Doubles Runner-up
2023 National Badminton Championships Men’s Doubles 3rd Runner-up
2023 Asian Youth Badminton Championships Men’s Doubles Runner-up
