Singles shuttler Joo Ven lands national title in anticlimax.
Anticlimactic final won’t bother Joo Ven as he savours long-awaited title
PETALING JAYA: Almost seven years – that’s how long Soong Joo Ven (pic) has persevered to become a champion again.
The 23-year-old defeated teammate and former Asian junior champion Leong Jun Hao in an anticlimatic men’s singles final at the Celcom Axiata National Championships at the Perak Badminton Arena in Ipoh yesterday.
Joo Ven won the first game 21-13 and led comfortably 7-1 in the second before Jun Hao conceded the match due to an ankle injury.
But Joo Ven does not mind how the title clash panned out, especially after having endured a frustrating winless spell since he last captured the Thailand International Series in May 2012 at the age of 17.
Joo Ven made it to five finals after his maiden title but lost them all, including finishing runner-up to Japan’s Kento Momota at the Asian Junior Championships in 2012.
He was also second best at the 2015 Malaysian International Challenge, 2016 Scottish Open, 2017 Polish International and the Hyderabad Open last September.
“It felt like winning my first title,” said Joo Ven, who pocketed RM10,000 for his effort.
“I finished second so many times that I completely forgotten how it felt to be a champion.
“I persevered all these years and I’m just happy to return to winning ways.
“Every player needs a breakthrough to move forward and I hope this is the one for me. It may be just a national title, but it means the world to me.”
While Joo Ven aims to build on the victory at next week’s German Open, the 19-year-old Jun Hao is left sweating over a fresh injury concern as he has just recovered from a hip injury that sidelined him for almost five months.
Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles, Ong Yew Sin-Teo Ee Yi ended their two-year title drought when they outplayed teammates Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik 21-12, 21-19 for the second time in as many months to reclaim the title they last won in December 2016.
Yew Sin-Ee Yi had beaten Aaron-Wooi Yik in the Malaysian Masters semi-finals last month before finishing runners-up to world No. 1 Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo-Marcus Fernaldi Gideon of Indonesia.
“This title matters a lot to us. We fought very hard to win this week. Beating Goh V Shem-Tan Wee Kiong for the first time was definitely the highlight,” said Ee Yi.
In the women’s singles final, Soniia Cheah scored a convincing 21-10, 21-14 win over national No. 1 Goh Jin Wei to retain her title.
Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying lived up to their top billing to claim the mixed doubles title but not after fending off a fierce challenge from scratch pair Hoo Pang Ron-Shevon Lai Jemie before prevailing 17-21, 21-13, 21-19.