Shuttler Boon Le shines but Malaysia fall to China at Asian Juniors
Malaysia were knocked out in the quarter-finals on Monday, falling 110-64 to defending champions China at the Manahan Indoor Stadium.
There was early hope when 17-year-old Lim Boon Le edged Xiao Gao Bo 11-9 in the opening boys' singles match, giving Malaysia a surprise lead.
But that was as good as it got.
From there, the junior shuttlers struggled to cope with China's firepower and failed to win another match.
Team manager Leong Kin Weng praised Boon Le's fighting spirit but admitted the gulf in class was too much to bridge.
"Boon Le performed very well in his win, and so did the other players, but China are just too strong," said Kin Weng.
"Overall, our players gained valuable exposure from the mixed team event. Hopefully, they will do better in the individual competition."
The individual events begin on Wednesday.
This year's result means Malaysia fall short of last year's effort in Yogyakarta, when they reached the semi-finals and bagged a bronze medal.
They also exited in the quarter-finals at the 2023 edition, also in Yogyakarta, where they lost to Thailand.
Malaysia last won the mixed team title in 2009 on home soil.
RESULTS
Q-FINALS
Malaysia 64 China 110 (Lim Boon Le bt Xiao Gao Bo 11-9; Kong Wei Xiang lost to Liu Yang Ming Yu, Damien Ling-Irfan Shazmir lost to Chen Jun Ting-Liu Jun Rong 11-9, Loh Ziheng-Ahmad Redzuan Zulwawaqqarizal Ahmad lost to Jun Ting-Jun Rong 11-4; Eng Ler Qi lost to Xu Wen Jing 13-6, Lim Zhi Shin lost to Yin Yi Qing 11-4, Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu lost to Chen Fan Shu Tian-Tan Ke Xuan 11-10; Dania Sofea Zaidi-Low Zi Yu lost to Fan Shu Tian-Ke Xuan 11-8, Loh Ziheng-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan lost to Hong Yi Li-Cao Zi Han 11-3, Loh Ziheng-Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan lost to Hong Yi Li-Cao Zi Han 11-4); Thailand 110 Hong Kong 98, South Korea 110 Indonesia 109, Japan 110 India 104.
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