Sabah squash players capture three titles
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah captured three titles in the recently concluded 12th Redtone/Kuala Lumpur international Junior Squash Open 2018, with Amber Kristy Muyou, Jessica Keng and Duncan Lee emerging champions in the GU-9. GU-19 and BU19 categories respectively.
Amber Kristy Muyou aged 8 and seeded player from Kota Kinabalu upset the top seed, Intan Syahirah Mohd Nizam fromNegeei Sembilan in the semi-final with scores of 9/11, 4/11, 11/9, 12/10,12/10 to secure a place in the final.
In the final, Amber had an easier task against her second seeded rival Emelda Camalia Abd Razak from Perak with scores of 8/11, 12/10, 14/12 and 11/0 to take the GU-9 crown. This was her maiden international outing?and will certainly dwell in her memory as the most cherished and sweetest moment.
Jessica Keng who took the GU-19 title by beating Ooi Kah Yan from Negeri Sembilan 11/7,11/9, 5/11 and 11/9 in the final. Prior to this, she had endured a serious challenge from her fellow junior Sabahan Yee Xin Ying in the quarterfinal to scrap through at 3-2.
Duncan Lee, aged 16 and seeded eighth, played extremely well to beat the top-seed, Chung Yat Long from Hong Kong in the third round. Duncan played a very tight and controlled game to win with scores of 5/11,13/11,11/9,11/9.
He progressed to the finals where he faced his fellow senior, a former student of Bukit Jalil, Siow Yee Xian from Melaka and managed to cause an upset by winning 3-2 (10/12, 6/11,11/4, 12/10 and11/5) after a hard-fought battle.
Other junior players who made it to the Top 8 were Doyce Lee (GU-13), Eugene Lee (BU-9), Tristan Andreas (BU-13) and in Top 16, Adam Amrie Goh (BU17) and Clement Richard (BU11). Yee Xin Ying secured a fifth placing.
The team manager, Connie Lo commented, “I am very happy with the results as we have three players at the podium, some players in the top 8 and top 16 positions to end this year 2018 in a high note. From the results, we can conclude that our squash development for the junior players is on the right track.”
She also thanked State coach Bryan Faurillo and coach Munir Khan for their hard work in the training and guiding the players.