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Kota Kinabalu: Sabah’s Saidatul Saadiah Muhammad clinched the Women’s Under-18 Singles (WSU18) title at the BAM U18 Badminton Championship (2nd Leg) in Kedah on Saturday.
The unseeded Bukit Jalil Sports School (SSBJ) based shuttler dug deep in a three-set final to upset second seed Kay Xin Lee of BAM, winning 7-15, 17-15, 15-8 to secure the gold medal.
Her path to the title included a quarterfinal victory over ¾ seed Chanice Tan Ying Xuan (11-15, 15-7, 15-9) and a semifinal win against Teoh Sue Mei (15-9, 9-15, 15-12).
In a statement, the Sabah Badminton Association (SBA) highlighted the achievements of two more Sabahan players at the 2026 Datuk Lee Chong Wei Cup, held at Stadium Juara, Bukit Kiara from August 29 to September 6.
Lim Ke Xuan (pic), an Academy Badminton Malaysia (ABM) trainee, did the State proud by capturing the Under-17 women’s doubles title alongside her partner Liew Yew Ern, while her ABM teammate Chua Jing Xuan secured a bronze medal in the Under-17 women’s singles event.
SBA President Datuk Maijol Mahap congratulated the players, coaches, and parents, acknowledging everyone involved in their development.
He welcomed the latest achievement, expressing excitement over the promising future of young, Sabah-born players.
“I am thrilled with the achievements of our homegrown players. Saidatul’s victory over BAM’s Kay Xin Lee in a gruelling, three-set final was an incredibly proud moment for Sabah,” he said.
“I hope we can maintain this momentum and avoid complacency. Instead, let us continue to work hard, strengthen our discipline and elevate our performance to reach greater heights.
Ultimately, our goal is to see more Sabah-born talent break into the country’s elite groups and proudly represent Malaysia on the international stage,” he added.
