Birthday girl Aira wants the biggest cake – the title

PETALING JAYA: National squash player Aira Azman is looking to reward herself with a special birthday gift – the girls’ Under-15 Asian Junior Squash Championship title.

The Kedah lass faces teammate and second seed Yee Xin Ying in the final in Chennai, India, on her 14th birthday today.

The British Junior Open Under-15 winner sealed her place in the final by defeating Hong Kong’s Tse Yee Lam Toby 11-3, 12-10, 8-11, 11-4 in the semi-final yesterday while Xin Ying overcame another Hong Kong player Kirstie Wong Po Yui 11-2, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8.

Aira showed her quality earlier in the Under-15 tournament after thrashing two players from India – Uditi Mishra 11-7, 11-5, 11-4 in the second round and Aishwarya Khubchandani 11-5, 11-6, 11-7 in the quarter-finals.

She has been in brilliant form since the Malaysia Games (Sukma) where she helped Kedah to the gold medal in the team event last week.

She won all her four matches in the team event to lead Kedah to a 2-0 win over Negri Sembilan for the gold medal.

Aira has already won the Asian Junior Championship Under-13 title twice in Kuala Lumpur in 2016 and in Jordan last year, and as the top seed, she’s eager to add the Under15 trophy to her collection today.

“It’s been quite tiring coming into this on the back of Sukma, but I’ve managed to recover well and fast to play quite well thus far,” said Aira.

“I’m just really happy to be in the final with my teammate (Xin Ying). And this is also my third final at this tournament, so I just hope that will bring out the best in me.

“I’ve played her several times this year and I’ve won several times. She’s a good player.

“Hopefully, I can bring back the Under-15 title as a birthday present for myself.”

In the girls’ Under-17 competition, Sabahan Jessica Keng also reached the final when she dismissed India’s Sanya Vats 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, 11-7 in the semi-finals.

The second seed will go up against top seed Chan Sin Yuk from Hong Kong, who disposed of her teammate Fung Ching Hei 11-5, 11-5, 11-7 to book her spot in the final.

Muhd Amir Amirul Azhar also made it to the final of the boys’ Under-17 competition when he defeated Sarawakian Nathan Kueh 12-10, 7-11, 12-10, 11-9. He will face off with Pakistan’s Haris Qasim in the final.