By Lester J. Bingkasan
Sabah to host National Under-21 badminton championship in Dec
KOTA KINABALU: All eyes will be on Sabah as some of the country’s top junior shuttlers will compete at the Celcom Axiata National Under-21 Badminton Championship (2nd leg) next month.
Sabah Badminton Association (SBA) in collaboration with the Badminton Association of Malaysia (BAM) will organise the championship here from December 12-16.
In announcing this yesterday, SBA president Janih Bangud, however, said they were still finalising the venue for the championship.
“There is a clash of dates with another sport using the venue (Kota Kinabalu Sports Complex multi-purpose hall in Likas) but we are doing our best to have it there.
“Whatever it is, the tournament will take place according to the fixed dates from December 12-16,” he told reporters after chairing the organising committee meeting here yesterday.
Meanwhile, Janih said 164 entries have been received for the five-day championship, of which 61 of them are from Sabah.
He said the 2018 world junior champion and Youth Olympics gold medallist, Goh Jin Wei, is still eligible to take part in the national junior.
“She is 18 years old and can still compete in the national junior which is an Under-21 competition.
“However, we are not sure of whether she will be taking part... we all hope that she will come,” said Janih who is also the organising chairman.
The national junior will have the men’s and women’s singles and doubles as well as the mixed doubles event.