Sabah lad Demond makes state badminton history
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s junior ace Demond Anthony Samin created a new chapter in the state’s badminton history by emerging as Asian champion of his age-group level.
Demond, partnering Muhammad Arif Shaharu Wan Mohd Junaidi, won the Boy’s Doubles title at the Badminton Asia Under-17 and Under-15 Junior Championships held at the Mandalar Thiri MultiPurpose Stadium in Mandalay, Myanmar on Sunday.
Competing in the under-17 category, Demond’s and Arif’s attacking prowess saw off the challenge of Chinese Taipei top seed Wei Chun Wei-Wu Guan Xun 21-18, 21-17 in the final.
The victory for Demond saw him become the first statetrained shuttler to win at an Asian level tournament.
Meanwhile, Demond also took part in the singles event but lost in the second round to Korean Choi Pyeong Kang 15-21, 15-21.
The other Sabahans representing Malaysia at the championship were Goh Shuen Tong and Arena Satu Amin.
Shuen Tong’s path was stopped in the second round of the Girl’s Under-15 singles, losing to Thai’s shuttler Patida Srisawat 9-21, 16-21.
In the doubles event, Shuen Tong and Lee Xin Jie were seeded first but lost in their third round battle 20-22, 12-21 to India’s unseeded pair Meghana Reddy Mareddy and Tasnim Mir, who went on to win the title.
As for Arena, she went down fighting in the Girl’s Under17 singles to the eventual champion and top seed Benyapa Aimsaard of Thailand 21-17, 1321, 8-21.