Thailand's Vitidsarn retains, Malaysia's Jin Wei regains singles titles in World Junior Championships
image taken from The star
China won two titles - the men's and women's doubles - but the show belonged to Malaysia's Goh Jin Wei who regained her women's singles title after two years and Thailand's Kunlavut Vitidsarn who retained his men's singles crown in this year's World Junior Championships which ended in Markham, Canada on Sunday.
For 18-year-old Jin Wei bidding farewell to her junior badminton career at junior would not have come at a better time when she denied Denmark's Line Christophersen from becoming the first European woman from winning the world junior title with a 21-13, 21-11 win in the 31-minute final.
The Malaysian won her first world junior title in Lima, Peru in 2015 but failed to get past the last 16 in Bilbao, Spain in 2016 and managed only a bronze in Yogyakarta, Indonesia last year.
She gave herself a perfect start buildup to Markham when she won the women's singles gold in last month's Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina when she defeated China's Wang Zhiyi 16-21, 21-13, 21-19 to write Malaysian badminton history as the first player from the country to win the gold.
"It is the beginning of a new era for me. What I achieved at the junior level is history for me as I embark my journey at senior level. I hope to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics," said Jin Wei, who hails from Penang.
Vitidsarn was hardly troubled by unseeded Kodai Naraoka of Japan in the men's singles final with the Thai running out 21-9, 21-11 winner in 43 minutes.
He had promised his coach Udom Luangphetcharaporn that he will make up in the world junior meet for his defeat in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships in Bintaro, Jakarta in July when he lost to India's Lakhsya Sen in the final.
China's number one seeds Di Zijian-Wang Chang had a fierce 42-minute battle before the duo subdued Korea's Shin Tae-yang-Chan Wang 21-19, 22-20 in the men's doubles final.
Earlier their top-seeded women's doubles pair of Liu Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting denied Malaysia's Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei the gold with a 21-16, 21-16 in 44 minutes.
The mixed doubles final was an all-Indonesia affair with Leo Rolly Carnado-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil defeating second seeds Rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti 21-15, 21-15 for the gold
RESULTS (ALL FINALS)
Mixed doubles
Leo Rolly Carnando-Indah Cahya Sari Jamil (INA) beat rehan Naufal Kusharjanto-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (INA) 21-15, 21-9
Women's singles
Goh Jin Wei (MAS) beat Line Christophersen (DEN) 21-13, 21-11
Women's doubles
Lia Xuanxuan-Xia Yuting (CHN) beat Pearly Tan Koong Le-Toh Ee Wei (MAS) 21-16, 21-16
Men's doubles
Di Zijian-Wang Chang (CHN) beat Shin Tae-yang-Chan Wang (KOR) 21-19, 20-22
Men's singles
Kunlavut Vitidsarn (THA) beat Kodai Naraoka (JPN) 21-9, 21-11
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