Latest news with #AllianzJuniorBadmintonChampionship
The Star
02-07-2025
- Sport
- The Star
We've got talent
Young smashers: The Under-15, Under-13 and Under-11 winners of Allianz Junior Badminton Championship qualifiers in Taiping this year. PETALING JAYA: Not all sports in Malaysia require the inclusion of heritage or naturalised athletes to strengthen their national teams, and badminton is one of them. Badminton legend Datuk Rashid Sidek acknowledged the growing trend among sports associations in Malaysia to recruit athletes of Malaysian descent from abroad to reinforce their line-ups. However, he believes badminton has no need to explore such options, given the country's long-standing reputation as one of the sport's global powerhouses. Rashid remains confident that Malaysia has an abundance of local talent, many of whom have yet to be fully discovered or developed. In fact, the current national squad features world-class players who have won multiple titles, including medals at the Olympic Games. As such, he feels it is unnecessary for the national badminton set-up to turn to heritage or naturalised players. 'In my opinion, it's not relevant for badminton to rely on heritage or naturalised players. We've been a badminton powerhouse since the 1950s. 'What matters most is having a strong development programme that can nurture talent to take over from the current batch. If we start depending on heritage or naturalised players, it could demoralise our own players. 'Yes, they may qualify to represent Malaysia, but giving them too much focus might close the door for homegrown athletes. 'For badminton, it's better to concentrate on our own development system. Other sports may need this route because producing quality athletes is more challenging for them, but for badminton, at this stage, it's not suitable,' said Rashid. Currently, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) continue to strengthen their development pipeline while focusing on grooming the current elite squad. The idea of bringing in heritage or naturalised players has never been part of the governing body's plans. By contrast, several other sports have actively pursued this path. The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), for instance, have recruited five heritage players from South America, although details of their Malaysian roots have not been publicly disclosed. They had also naturalised several players, including Guilherme de Paula and Lee Tuck, but both are no longer representing the country. Malaysia Aquatics (MA) are also exploring options to bring in heritage swimmers to boost the national squad. Meanwhile, the Malaysia Basketball Association (MABA) have engaged with the Youth and Sports Ministry over plans to enlist naturalised players to strengthen the team ahead of the SEA Games in Thailand later this year.
The Star
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Contest hots up to find junior badminton champs
U15, U13 and U11 winners of Allianz Junior Badminton Championship qualifiers in Taiping. The Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC) saw double wins for the girls as the second qualifying session hit the Wintel Sport Arena in Taiping, Perak. Low Hui Yein from SMJK Yuk Cho and Ng Yun Xi from Wesley Methodist School KL (International) won their singles and doubles events in the U-15 Girls' and U-13 Girls' categories respectively. In the U-15 Girls' Singles, Hui Yein beat Ho Wen Jie of SMK Seafield, while in the Doubles, she and partner Yong Hui Teng from SMK Ayer Tawar beat Chai Xiao Qing from SMJK Pei Yuan and Chang Zhi Qing of SMJK Shing Chung. This year marks Hui Yein's fourth participation in AJBC, after making it to the Grand Finals in both the U-13 Girls' Singles and Doubles of the 2022 and 2023 editions, as well as the semi-finals of the U-15 Girls' Singles and Doubles in 2024. 'I only train twice a week with my club (Falim BC) and twice more with Perak Badminton Association. 'The rest of the time, I spar with my father and my uncles and that has made the difference for me,' she said. 'Sparring with them creates a competitive atmosphere where I'm playing against players much older than me,' said Hui Yein, whose dream is to be an Olympic champion like her idol South Korean badminton player An Se-young. Meanwhile, Yun Xi won the U-13 Girls' Singles by defeating Nur Keisha Zulaika Mohd Zulhasrad from SMK Putrajaya Presint 5(1). Yun Xi also took the Doubles title, with partner Khor Pei Xuan of SMK Seri Bintang Selatan after securing victory over Nur Keisha and Marissa Aisy Sofea Muhammad Hasrul Nizam from SMK Putrajaya Presint 8(1). In the U-15 Boys' Singles category, Darwin Yeong Jun Bin from SMK St George defeated H'Ng Tze Hoong of SMK Desa Perdana. In the U-15 Boys' Doubles, Braxton Ling Liq Wei from SMK Methodist teamed up with Cheng Jia Hao from Yik Ching High School to emerge victorious over Muhamad Rafique Naufal Muhamad Nizam of SMK King Edward VII Taiping and Muhammad Daris Idi Azhar of SMK Datuk Hj Abdul Wahab Perak. Loo Xuan Le of SMJK Yuk Choy nearly netted a double win when he won the U-13 Boys' Singles over Phoon William from SMJK Sam Tet and partnered Wong Hong Bin from SMJK Hua Lian in the U-13 Boys' Doubles final. However, his doubles pairing lost to William and schoolmate partner Lim Zi Xiong. A total of 286 players took part in the second qualifying session, with the tournament featuring 10 rounds culminating in the year-end grand finals. The AJBC Grand Finals 2025 will feature U-13 and U-15 finalists from all the qualifying rounds and will take place in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 5. Each qualifying round will see 24 players going to the finals. However, the Under-11 players will not advance to the AJBC Grand Finals. As in previous years, players participating in AJBC qualifying rounds are not required to pay any entrance fee. The top three winners in the qualifiers for all age categories will earn RM500, RM300 and RM150 (singles) and RM600, RM400 and RM200 (doubles). Players finishing in the top three at the grand finals will pocket RM1,000, RM600 and RM300 (singles) and RM1,200, RM800 and RM400 (doubles). AJBC is supported by Education Ministry's Sports, Co-curricular and Arts Division and Badminton Association of Malaysia. Applications are still open for qualifying rounds from July to October, taking place in Sabah, Melaka, Pahang, Kedah, Kelantan and Penang. For details, visit
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Girls rule the court in Allianz Junior Badminton Championship 2025 Qualifying Round 2
It was a field day for the girls at the second qualifying round of the Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC), with Low Hui Yein and Ng Yun Xi winning their singles and doubles events in the U-15 Girls' and U-13 Girls' categories respectively. The second qualifying round of the AJBC, which took place from May 30 to June 1, 2025 at the Wintel Sport Arena in Taiping, Perak, saw Low Hui Yein from SMJK Yuk Choy beating Ho Wen Jie of SMK Seafield to win the U-15 Girls' Singles, and partnering Yong Hui Teng from SMK Ayer Tawar in the U-15 Girls' Doubles to beat Chai Xiao Qing from SMJK Pei Yuan and Chang Zhi Qing of SMJK Shing Chung. This year marks Low's fourth participation in the AJBC, after making it to the Grand Finals in both the U-13 Girls' Singles and Doubles of the 2022 and 2023 editions, and the semifinals of the U-15 Girls' Singles and Doubles in 2024. 'I only train twice a week with my club (Falim BC) and twice more with the Perak Badminton Association. But the rest of the time, I spar with my father and my uncles, and that has made the difference for me. 'Sparring with them creates a competitive atmosphere where I'm playing against players older than me,' said Low, whose dream is to be an Olympic champion like her idol, South Korean badminton player An Se-young. Ng Yun Xi of Wesley Methodist School KL (International) defeated Nur Keisha Zulaika Binti Mohd Zulhasrad from SMK Putrajaya Presint 5(1) in the U-13 girls' singles. Ng then partnered Khor Pei Xuan of SMK Seri Bintang Selatan to clinch the top spot in the U-13 girls' doubles over Marissa Aisy Sofea Binti Muhammad Hasrul Nizam from SMK Putrajaya Presint 8(1) and Nur Keisha Zulaika. Meanwhile, Darwin Yeong Jun Bin from SMK St George defeated H'Ng Tze Hoong of SMK Desa Perdana to win the U-15 boys' singles. In the U-15 Boys' Doubles, Braxton Ling Liq Wei from SMK Methodist teamed up with Cheng Jia Hao from Yik Ching High School to emerge victorious over Muhamad Rafique Naufal Bin Muhamad Nizam of SMK King Edward V11 Taiping and Muhammad Daris Bin Idi Azhar of SMK Datuk Hj Abdul Wahab Perak. Loo Xuan Le of SMJK Yuk Choy nearly netted a double win too when he won the U-13 boys' singles over Phoon William from SMJK Sam Tet and partnered Wong Hong Bin from SMJK Hua Lian in the U-13 boys' doubles final. However, Phoon William ultimately got the better of him, winning the U-13 boys' doubles together with Lim Zi Xiong, also from SMJK Sam Tet. A total of 286 players took part in this tournament, the second Qualifying Round of 10 rounds which will culminate in the year-end Grand Finals. The AJBC Grand Finals 2025 featuring U-13 and U-15 finalists from all the qualifying rounds, will take place in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 5–9. Each round will see 24 players qualifying for the finals. The U-11 players will not advance to the AJBC Grand Finals. As in previous years, players participating in the AJBC Qualifying Rounds are not required to pay any entrance fees. The top three winners in the qualifying rounds, for all age categories, will earn RM500, RM300 and RM150 (singles) and RM600, RM400 and RM200 (doubles). Players finishing in the top three at the Grand Finals will pocket RM1,000, RM600 and RM300 (singles) and RM1,200, RM800 and RM400 (doubles).
The Sun
06-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Girls rule the court in Allianz Junior Badminton Championship 2025
It was a field day for the girls at the second qualifying round of the Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC), with Low Hui Yein and Ng Yun Xi winning their singles and doubles events in the U-15 Girls' and U-13 Girls' categories respectively. The second qualifying round of the AJBC, which took place from May 30 to June 1, 2025 at the Wintel Sport Arena in Taiping, Perak, saw Low Hui Yein from SMJK Yuk Choy beating Ho Wen Jie of SMK Seafield to win the U-15 Girls' Singles, and partnering Yong Hui Teng from SMK Ayer Tawar in the U-15 Girls' Doubles to beat Chai Xiao Qing from SMJK Pei Yuan and Chang Zhi Qing of SMJK Shing Chung. This year marks Low's fourth participation in the AJBC, after making it to the Grand Finals in both the U-13 Girls' Singles and Doubles of the 2022 and 2023 editions, and the semifinals of the U-15 Girls' Singles and Doubles in 2024. 'I only train twice a week with my club (Falim BC) and twice more with the Perak Badminton Association. But the rest of the time, I spar with my father and my uncles, and that has made the difference for me. 'Sparring with them creates a competitive atmosphere where I'm playing against players older than me,' said Low, whose dream is to be an Olympic champion like her idol, South Korean badminton player An Se-young. Ng Yun Xi of Wesley Methodist School KL (International) defeated Nur Keisha Zulaika Binti Mohd Zulhasrad from SMK Putrajaya Presint 5(1) in the U-13 girls' singles. Ng then partnered Khor Pei Xuan of SMK Seri Bintang Selatan to clinch the top spot in the U-13 girls' doubles over Marissa Aisy Sofea Binti Muhammad Hasrul Nizam from SMK Putrajaya Presint 8(1) and Nur Keisha Zulaika. Meanwhile, Darwin Yeong Jun Bin from SMK St George defeated H'Ng Tze Hoong of SMK Desa Perdana to win the U-15 boys' singles. In the U-15 Boys' Doubles, Braxton Ling Liq Wei from SMK Methodist teamed up with Cheng Jia Hao from Yik Ching High School to emerge victorious over Muhamad Rafique Naufal Bin Muhamad Nizam of SMK King Edward V11 Taiping and Muhammad Daris Bin Idi Azhar of SMK Datuk Hj Abdul Wahab Perak. Loo Xuan Le of SMJK Yuk Choy nearly netted a double win too when he won the U-13 boys' singles over Phoon William from SMJK Sam Tet and partnered Wong Hong Bin from SMJK Hua Lian in the U-13 boys' doubles final. However, Phoon William ultimately got the better of him, winning the U-13 boys' doubles together with Lim Zi Xiong, also from SMJK Sam Tet. A total of 286 players took part in this tournament, the second Qualifying Round of 10 rounds which will culminate in the year-end Grand Finals. The AJBC Grand Finals 2025 featuring U-13 and U-15 finalists from all the qualifying rounds, will take place in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 5–9. Each round will see 24 players qualifying for the finals. The U-11 players will not advance to the AJBC Grand Finals. As in previous years, players participating in the AJBC Qualifying Rounds are not required to pay any entrance fees. The top three winners in the qualifying rounds, for all age categories, will earn RM500, RM300 and RM150 (singles) and RM600, RM400 and RM200 (doubles). Players finishing in the top three at the Grand Finals will pocket RM1,000, RM600 and RM300 (singles) and RM1,200, RM800 and RM400 (doubles).
The Star
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Junior shuttlers shine as championship kicks off in Klang
Winners of AJBC 2025 qualifiers in Klang. LAST year's Allianz Junior Badminton Championship (AJBC) grand finals winner, Siti Nur Aminah Abdullah proved her mettle once again with a double victory in AJBC 2025 Qualifying Round One in Klang, Selangor. Siti Nur Aminah, from SMK Bukit Sentosa 2, defeated G. Thanisha from SMK Subang Jaya in the U-15 Singles final and partnered Chu Jing Xuan from SMK Convent Klang to clinch the Doubles title. Last year, she won the AJBC grand final Girls' U-13 Singles and Doubles titles. Another AJBC regular, Wong Wei Shen from Regent International School Klang just missed out on the same feat after winning the U-15 Boys' Singles final against Soh Jiang Yee from SMJK Chung Hwa Klang. In his Doubles final with regular partner Ian Yee from Tenby International School, they lost to Jiang Yee and Javier Ng from SMK Bandar Baru Sungai Long. A total of 334 players took part in the first qualifying round of 10, which will culminate in the AJBC Grand Finals 2025 in Kuala Lumpur from Nov 5 to 9. Qualifying will take place around Malaysia, filtering down U-13 and U-15 shuttlers to 24 players per session for the finals. Under-11 players will not advance to the AJBC grand finals. The top three winners in the qualifying rounds, for all age categories, will walk away with RM500, RM300 and RM150 in the singles and RM600, RM400 and RM200 in the doubles categories respectively. Applications are still open for qualifying sessions from June to October. For more, visit
