China wins big in Badminton Asia Junior championships, organizers get 'thumbs up' for job well done
Badminton powerhouse China stood tall with an impressive four gold medal haul in this year's Pembangunan Jaya Raya Badminton Asia Junior Championships which ended in Bintaro, Jakarta on Sunday.
The Chinese were all smiles - winning the mixed team event, the women's singles, the mixed doubles and the men's doubles - in the splendidly organized nine-day tournament that drew participation from 17 countries.
India and Indonesia won a title each with the former taking the men's singles and the hosts the women's doubles respectively.
The countries were China, Malaysia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Macau China, Korea, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, King of Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Mongolia.
Saudi Arabia made their debut in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships while Kazakhstan is a regular in the Asian meet and always showing true sportsmanship in their game.
The Saudis did not make any headway in the championships but it is certainly the start of better things to come from the Arab nation which is opening up to let their women get involved in the shuttle sport.
No Saudi woman was in Bintaro but we will hear from them soon - competing for honors in the sport - which is another feather in the cap for Asian badminton.
Hats off to title sponsor Pembangunan Jaya for the excellent facilities at the Jaya Raya Badminton Academy in Bintaro. It is on course to achieve its status, in Jaya Raya Foundation executive director Ir. R. Tony Soehartono MM., CRMP own words as the "best badminton academy in the world".
Shuttlers, especially juniors, from India, Japan, Canda, Qatar, France, United States, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, England, Iran, Moldova have trained here.
Putting that aside the Badminton Asia Junior Championships is the launching pad for the young talent in the game. Players like newly crowned men's singles champion Lakyshya Sen (India), Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Thailand), Leong Jun Hao (Malaysia), Bai Yupeng, Li Shifeng (China), Ikhsan Leonardo Imanuel Rumbay. Cristian Adinata (Indonesia), Ng Tze Yong (Malaysia) are just some of the names in the men's singles who are set to rule in the coming future.
The women's singles saw eventual winner Wang Zhiyi, Zhou Meng (China), Wei Yaxin (China) Phittayaporn Chaiwan, Benyapa Aimsaard (Thailand), Hirari Mizui (Japan), Lee So-yul, Park Ga-eun (Korea) standing out in the event.
Women's doubles champion Febriana Dwipuji Kusuma-Ribka Sugiarto, Agatha Imanuela-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti, Liu Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting Pearly TanKoong Le-Toh Ee Wei (Malaysia) are the pairs to watch in the badminton world.
China's Di Zijian-Wang Chang who retained the men's doubles title after defeating compatriots Liang Weikeng-Shang Yichen are on track in their quest to be world beaters together with Korea's Shin Tae-yang-Wang Chan, while mention should also be made of Abdul Hamid Likman-Gourab Singha (Bangladesh), Manjit Singh Khwairakpam-Dingku Singh Konthoujam (India) and Thanawin Madee-Wachirawit Sothon (Thailand).
The Chinese again displayed that they are not short of talent in the mixed doubles with Guo Xinwa-Liu Xuanxuan lifting the title by defeating their Korean challengers Wang Chan-Jeong Na-eun.
The Koreans have two other strong pairs - Ki Dong-ju and Lee Eun-ji; Shin Tae-yang-Lee Jung-hyun. Indonesia too has depth in this event and Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti together with Pramudya Kusumawardana Riyanto-Ribka Sugiarto - are great mixed doubles pairs in the making.
All in all, it was a huge success for Badminton Asia Junior Championships and also Pembangunan Jaya Raya for a well-organized meet and attended to the shortcomings if there were any.
They certainly deserve the "Thumbs Up" for a job well done.
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