Hangzhou: In a disappointing turn of events for Malaysian badminton fans eagerly awaiting their favorite players’ performances at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, Malaysia faced a disappointing outcome at the Binjiang Gymnasium on Thursday.
The disappointing result came as South Korea eliminated Malaysia in the first round of the men’s team event, ending the tie with a 3-1 victory.
Malaysia’s hope, world number 16 Lee Zii Jia, made a regrettable contribution to Malaysia’s defeat, losing to the world’s number 47 player, Jeon Hyeok Jin, with scores of 14-21, 21-14, 18-21.
Lee Zii Jia celebrates prematurely before securing a victory against Jeon Hyeok Jin.
However, commendations are due to the doubles pair Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik, who exhibited superior class, overcoming reigning world champions Seo Seung Jae/Kang Min Hyuk 21-17, 21-9, thereby securing Malaysia’s first point.
Unfortunately, the momentum was not sustained by another singles player, Ng Tze Yong, ranked number 19th globally, as he suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of the 119th-ranked player, Lee Yun Gyu, with scores of 11-21, 16-21.
Malaysia’s hopes to advance to the next round crumbled, as their scratch pair Kim Won Ho/Na Sung Seung seamlessly overcame Malaysia’s World No. 9 Ong Yew Sin/Teo Ee Yi 16-21, 18-21, confirming South Korea’s progression to the quarter-finals.
South Korea is now poised to face Indonesia in the quarter-finals.
Despite the setbacks, Malaysia’s Aaron Chia/Soh Wooi Yik individually expressed satisfaction after achieving a victory in their debut appearance at the Asian Games.
“Although we have been through many championships, this is one of the main tournaments for us. We hope this debut is a good start for us,” said Chia.
The Malaysian shuttlers will continue their challenge, participating in the individual events scheduled to begin next Monday.
In the tie between Japan and Singapore, Kenta Nishimoto made an impressive comeback after trailing in the first game, defeating world champion Loh Kean Yew with scores of 17-21, 21-14, 21-9. This victory propelled Japan to a dominant win over Singapore, securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
Young Singaporean talent, Teh Jia Heng, put up a spirited performance in a closely contested match when Singapore trailed 2-0. However, he was edged out by Kanta Tsuneyama with scores of 21-16, and 26-24.
Speaking about the match, Teh mentioned, “The pressure was tangible since a loss from my end would mean defeat for Singapore. I gave it my all on the court, but Tsuneyama showcased superior gameplay.”
Meanwhile, Hong Kong secured their place in the subsequent round by narrowly defeating Thailand in a marathon five-hour contest that ended 3-2. Chinese Taipei convincingly beat Maldives with a 3-0 scoreline, while Nepal triumphed over Mongolia, securing a 3-1 win.
