Sabah players and officials celebrate after they captured 13 gold, 7 silver and 17 bronze medals to dominate the 100Plus National Junior Circuit Sabah Sarawak Zone badminton championship.
Sarawak failed to defend the overall championship title when they ended up with only 4 golds, 10 silvers and 17 bronzes. — Photos by Chai Chang Yu
KUCHING: Sabah grabbed the major share of the lion’s spoils at the 100Plus National Junior Circuit Sabah Sarawak Zone badminton championship when they captured 13 out of the 16 categories in the three-day competition at Sarawak Badminton Association (SBA) Hall last Sunday.
The visitors grabbed three titles in the U12 categories, with unseeded Mohd Hamizan Mozes beating teammate and tournament second seed Demond Anthony Samin 21-17, 21-13 in the Boys U12 singles final, favourite Arena Satu Samin beating teammate Goh Shuen Tong 19-21, 21-15, 21-18 in the Girls U12 singles while Mohd Hamizan Mozes and Lincoln Isaac Shim upsetting top seeds Demond Anthony Samin and Naldo Fong Kuo Yoong 15-21, 21-15, 21-18 in an all-Sabah Boys U12 doubles final.
Sarawak’s Erika Vallensia and Wong Ling Ching, the top seeds, prevented Sabah from sweeping all the U12 categories when they beat teammates Kashley Kho Tze Yin and Yong En En 21-18, 21-14 to lift the Girls U12 doubles title.
However, it was a clean sweep for Sabah in the U14 categories as top seed Neville Baptist Luaran beat Sarawak’s Syafiq Azhar Murat, the second seed, 23-21, 21-16 in the singles final while the top seed player Petrica Eleng Samin overcame Sarawak’s second seed player Felicia Fong Xin Hui 21-12, 24-22 in the girls singles final.
Petricia partnered Shannia Dedee Richard to upset the top seeds from Sarawak Felicia Fong Xin Hui and Flora Fong Xin Jie 21-18, 20-22, 21-15 in the girls doubles while the boys doubles final saw Ling Dai Hao and Neville Baptist Luaran taking the title after defeating teammates Jaykester Jenenius and Macvin Marvin Martin 21-17, 21-17.
Kam Wei Li from Miri salvaged some pride for Sarawak as the fourth seed won the Girls U16 singles title after beating team and training mate Yong Ping Ping 11-7 (retired) in the final.
Wei Li then partnered Ping Ping to easily beat another Sarawak pair Jee Yu Fei and Kristy Tay Yong 21-11, 21-15 in the Girls U16 doubles final.
The Boys U16 singles and doubles crowns were captured by Sabah with Wan Mohd Hidayat Wan Hassan defeating Sarawak’s Wilson Lau Ngie Ding 15-21, 21-17, 21-9 and Casey Yong-Yap Qar Siong beating Sarawak pair Jeremy Kho-Owen Ting Shih Wee 21-7, 21-16 respectively.
The highlight of the tournament was in the Boys U18 singles final that saw Sarawak’s Clement Chieng Jia Yew beating his teammate Eric Jong Zie Sheng 21-17, 21-15.
Sabah took the Girls U18 singles crown when Lydia Habirin Lapongan tamed teammate Donnetta Avrelica Moisol 21-18, 21-10 in the final.
Lydia completed a double in the tournament when she partnered Joanne Chai Guan Jun to overcome another Sabah pair Grace Lee Yi Jing and Nur Adilah Syafiqah Adiman 24-26, 21-11, 21-17 in the Girls U18 doubles final.
The Boys U18 doubles title was won by Sabah’s Muhd Sharul Nazim Rahman and his brother Muhd Sharul Nizam who beat Sarawak’s Eric Jong Zie Sheng and Kam Sing Siong 19-21, 21-19, 21-17.