Malaysia Juniors Defeat Indonesia to Reach World Junior Final

The national junior badminton squad defeated two-time champions Indonesia 2-0 at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday, securing a spot in the mixed team final of the World Junior Championships in a result reported by The Star that reverses their seniors’ defeat at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games last month.

Cairo International Stadium Hosts Semifinal Breakthrough

The victory halts an Indonesian run that saw the senior squad eliminate Malaysia in the Asian Games quarter-finals before claiming gold. The junior team navigated a packed arena featuring nearly 1,000 Indonesian supporters to reach their first mixed team final since the 2017 tournament in Yogyakarta.

Match Scores and Lead Changes in Egypt

Indonesia struck first when Fardhan Rainanda defeated Tiew Wei Jie 11-6 in the boys’ singles. Genevie Lim and Low Zi Yu responded in the girls’ doubles by defeating Atresia Naufa and Aurelia Syakira 22-17 to level the tie. Jolin Angelia edged out Carine Tee 33-32 in the girls’ singles to restore the Indonesian lead, before Zi Yu partnered Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal to overcome Moses Andar and Reya Azzahra 44-43 in the mixed doubles. Damien Ling and Irfan Shazmir then established a 55-49 advantage over Faizal Pangetsu and Anju Siahaan to claim the first game for Malaysia.

In the second game, Wei Jie defeated Fardhan 11-7, and Genevie and Zi Yu beat Atresia and Halifia Usni 22-11. Carine held off Jolin 33-28, and Zi Yu paired with Redzuan again to defeat Moses and Reya 44-37. Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal and Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim secured the decisive 55-42 victory over Faizal Pangetsu and Anju Siahaan in the men’s doubles.

Doubles Partnership Overcomes Arena Pressure

Isyraf Hafizin Ibrahim acknowledged the tension as the points narrowed ahead of the concluding match. “The nerves did get to me when I noticed how close the points were before our match,” Isyraf said. “Once I stepped onto the court, though, that feeling vanished and I was steady again.”

The pair entered the match ranked world No. 3 in the junior boys’ doubles after winning the Malaysia Junior International Challenge title in July. Ahmad Redzuan Zulwaqqarizal noted the atmospheric challenge posed by the opposing supporters in Cairo. “They (Indonesia) had more fans than us, but we pushed through,” Redzuan said. “Even with fewer local fans in person, seeing them there really helped boost our spirits. Thank you to all the fans who showed up to support us.”