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KUALA LUMPUR – The 2022 Elite Youth Tour badminton tournament finals saw Lok Hong Quan clinch the champion title for the under-16 boys’ singles category.
Lok overpowered his opponent Muhammad Faiq in rubber sets, 21-15, 13-21, 21-10.
“Faiq was a very tough opponent to beat because he played well, and his smashes were fast, but I kept telling myself to hold on and try to win the match.
“My coach wants me to focus on my strength and increase my stamina,” said Lok.
Meanwhile, Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) player Siti Zulaikha Azmi Tan won the girl’s singles under-16 event after defeating Oo Shan Zi of Penang in straight sets 21-16, 21-19 in 35 minutes.
“I am satisfied with my game today after dealing with a fierce opponent. However, there are many things I need to improve, especially stamina and quality of play.
“My coach also saw that this victory gave me a boost of confidence to continue progressing in the upcoming tournament,” said Zulaikha.
In the under-16 boys’ doubles category, BAM duo Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing beat Johor pair Siau Yun Hang-Tan Jia Le in straight sets 21-11, 21-10 to confirm their status as champions.
Carmen Ting-Ong Xin Yee stepped onto the podium as the girls’ doubles champions after winning over Clarissa San-Tan Zhing Hui in straight sets 21-9, 21-9.
Lim Boon Le emerged as the champion for the under-14 boys’ singles after defeating Muhd Razin Aqeef, 21-14, 17-21, 21-19, and Genevie Lim as the champion for the girl’s singles event after defeating Chloe Lam 21-19, 21-15.
All players performed in the group stage in a round-robin format in the hunt for the title of group champion to advance to the quarterfinals and determine who will be crowned champion for the 2022 edition.
The 2021 Elite Youth Tour was divided into three groups.
Group A consisted of Perak, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Kelantan, while Group B consisted of Putrajaya, Penang, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Johor.
Group C was Sabah, Perlis, Kedah, Terengganu and Sarawak.
The tournament involved categories under-12, -14, and -16 in singles and doubles for boys and girls.
The tournament had two rounds in which only the best player for each group is eligible to compete in the Youth Elite Tour 2022 Final Round which took place at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara. – The Vibes, August 7, 2022