Malaysia secured a spot in the badminton World Junior mixed team final after overcoming Indonesia 2-0 in the semi-finals at Cairo International Stadium in Egypt, ending a nine-year wait to reach the championship match following their previous appearance in 2017 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, according to Bernama.
Overcoming the Indonesian Challenge in Cairo
Facing last year’s runners-up, the national squad withstood a determined challenge from two-time champions Indonesia to secure victory in both games at Cairo International Stadium. Malaysia fell behind early when boys’ singles player Tiew Wei Jie lost 6-11 to Fardhan Rainanda. However, the girls’ doubles pairing of Genevie Lim and Low Zi Yu levelled the contest with a 22-17 victory over Atresia Naufa and Aurelia Syakira.
Indonesia responded through Jolin Angelia, who narrowly defeated Carine Tee 33-32 in the girls’ singles. Zi Yu and Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal restored Malaysia’s advantage in the mixed doubles, edging Moses Andar and Reya Azzahra 44-43 before Damien Ling and Irfan Shazmir secured the opening game with a 55-49 win against Faizal Pangetsu and Anju Siahaan.
| Match Category | Malaysian Representation | Indonesian Representation | Game 1 Score | Game 2 Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boys’ Singles | Tiew Wei Jie | Fardhan Rainanda | 6-11 | 11-7 |
| Girls’ Doubles | Genevie Lim – Low Zi Yu | Atresia Naufa – Aurelia Syakira / Halifia Usni | 22-17 | 22-11 |
| Girls’ Singles | Carine Tee | Jolin Angelia | 32-33 | 33-28 |
| Mixed Doubles | Low Zi Yu – Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal | Moses Andar – Reya Azzahra | 44-43 | 44-37 |
| Boys’ Doubles / Closing Match | Damien Ling – Irfan Shazmir / Redzuan – Isyraf Hafizin | Faizal Pangetsu – Anju Siahaan | 55-49 | 55-42 |
Momentum Shift and Closing the Semi-Final
Buoyed by the first-game victory, Malaysia carried the momentum into the second game. Wei Jie bounced back to beat Fardhan 11-7 in the boys’ singles, and Genevie and Zi Yu extended Malaysia’s lead with a convincing 22-11 win over Indonesia’s revised combination of Atresia and Halifia Usni.
Carine then gained ground for Malaysia by overcoming Jolin 33-28 in another closely contested girls’ singles match. Zi Yu and Redzuan continued their impressive form in the mixed doubles, defeating Moses and Reya 44-37 to put Malaysia within reach of the final. Redzuan subsequently partnered Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim in the boys’ doubles, where they completed Malaysia’s victory with a 55-42 triumph over Faizal and Anju.
Malaysia’s last appearance in the mixed team final at the championships was in 2017. The national team will take on either China or Thailand in the final.
