Low Zi Yu and Genevie Lim win World Junior girls' doubles gold

Low Zi Yu secured the girls’ doubles title at the World Junior Championships in Cairo on Saturday alongside Genevie Lim, capturing the gold medal at 16 years and 57 days old and surpassing a record set by China’s Jia Yifan. The victory at Cairo International Stadium made Zi Yu and Genevie the first Malaysian pair to win the event, closing out a tense three-game final against Japan’s Nijika Kamata and Shizuku Kashio.

Chasing Gold Past the Japanese Pair in Cairo

The path to the podium required surviving a late surge from Nijika Kamata and Shizuku Kashio. After claiming the opening game comfortably at 15-7, the Malaysian duo dropped the second 9-15.

FIRST EVER IN HISTORY 🥇🏆Congratulations, Genevie Lim/Low Zi Yu 🇲🇾, Champions of Women's Doubles in the VICTOR BWF World Junior Championship 2026📷 : Screenshot#WJC2026 #WorldJuniorChampionships2026 #Malaysia #GenevieLim #LowZiYu#SNESports #LifeTelco pic.twitter.com/rYxG5Fkfdy

— https://x.com/SNE_Sports/status/2111699754304311641

“Very happy. I thought I was going to take a third silver medal at the world junior meet. I was very lucky to get a gold medal.”

Holding steady through the final exchanges, Zi Yu and Genevie closed out the third game 15-12. The win erased the sting of earlier defeats in Cairo, including an exit in the mixed doubles quarter-finals where Zi Yu partnered top seed Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal.

Breaking Records and Past Final Defeats

With this win, Zi Yu eclipsed the previous milestone held by China’s Jia Yifan, who was 16 years and 293 days old when she claimed the 2014 crown in Alor Setar alongside Chen Qingchen. The title also offered immediate redemption for Zi Yu after runner-up finishes in previous editions of the tournament.

Two years prior in Nanchang, competing at just 14 years old alongside Dania Sofea Zaidi, Zi Yu settled for silver after a loss to Japan’s Ririna Hiramoto and Aya Tamaki. She reached the final again last year in Guwahati paired with Noraqilah Maisarah Ramdan, only to fall short against China’s Tan Kexuan and Wei Yueyue.

For Genevie, the triumph arrived rapidly following a partnership formed earlier this season at the Asian Junior Championships in Yatsushiro, Japan. The pair’s quick cohesion also helped soften the disappointment of Malaysia’s silver-medal finish in the mixed team event the previous week.