SIBU: Defending champion Hock Kwong and title-chaser Tyrelink Wheel are set for an explosive showdown in Sibu Badminton Association (SBA) Challenge Cup poser to be held tomorrow at TN Sports Complex.
Both teams had topped their respective groups after having secured the maximum eight points from four matches played in their group league.
En route to qualification for the final showdown, Group A Hock Kwong swept aside both PSKPP, MUC 3-0 and edged SA and Prowira 2-1.
The results of Tyrelink looked more convincing as they thrashed Paris Bridal, Delta cafe, GOF 3-0 each and edged Ken 2-1.
SA were the runner-up in Group A while the runner-up qualifier from Group B were Paris Bridal.
“The semi-finals will be played tonight and barring any unforeseen circumstances, both Hock Kwong and Tyrelink should advance to the final round on Sunday,” SBA treasurer Yong King Sung said yesterday.
The final matches for the third and fourth placing will be played at 6pm to be followed by the final matches at 7.30pm.
He said the semi-final battle between Hock Kwong and Paris Bridal was more clear cut and a defeat for Hock Kwong appeared remote.
“We welcome all badminton enthusiasts to come to TN Sports Complex to watch the interesting and exciting games that surely will provide lots of thrills and spills,” he added.
In the first double of the Hock Kwong versus Prowira match on Thursday night, Hock Kwong’s Ting Wei Ping and Ting Ming Wong had to dig deep before overcoming Prowira’s Columba Tiong/Augustine So 21-18, 17-21, 21-18.
Wei Ming, a former national player, and Ming Wong, a former Sibu champion, showed moments of brilliancy in the final game when levelled at 14-14, they secured five consecutive points to widen the gap to 19-14.
Columba/Augustine refused to throw in the towel and they fought tooth and nail to narrow the deficit to 21-18.
An upset was on the card but Wei Ping and Ming Wong had other ideas and they grabbed the two vital points to pocket the first point.
In the second double, Prowira’s Ling Ching Tee/Huang Ung Siong easily beat Hock Kwong’s Mohd Ariff/Melvin Sim 21-10, 21-14 to put the point at level.
The third pair of Hock Kwong‘s Peter Ho/Paulus Lau made it all look easy when they breezed past Prowira’s Ngui Miew Wui/Choo Choon Sieng pair 21-13, 21-8.
In the other Group A match, MUC beat PSKPP 3-0 to register its first victory of the game.
In Group B, Tyrelink’s path to the semi-final was straightforward after whitewashed GOF team 3-0 and it was literally a walk in the park for the first pair of Tyrelink’s Wong Kong Who/Johnny Siew when they thrashed GOF’s pair of Abdul Razak/Abdul Ghani 21-4, 21-9.
Jeffery Phang/Wee Teck Hock then defeated GOF’s Hary Wang/Ho Jie Kwong 21-5, 21-9 before Tyrelink’s Johnson Ting/Adam Yii beat GOF’s Fairuz/Faizal 22-20, 21-14 to complete the rout.
The other Group B match was won by Paris Bridal when it beat Delta Cafe 2-1.
Ten teams took part in the week-long championship aimed at promoting badminton among the locals.