by Ian Marshall, Editor
Success but the manner of the success was somewhat different; Kaho Akae, Haruna Ojio and Sakura Yokoi proved a step ahead of the field.
They secured the title without at any stage of proceedings surrendering a single individual match; players from the host association being put to the sword at both the semi-final and final stages. Ng Wing Lam, Wong Chin Yau and Karen Lee Hoi Man were the first to suffer, next came Lee Ka Yee, Chau Wing Sze and Fung Wai Chu.
In the counterpart semi-final, Lee Ka Yee, Chau Wing Sze and Fung Wai Chu had recorded a 3-2 win in opposition to the Chinese Taipei trio formed by Yu Hsui-Ting, Chien Tung-Chuan and Cai Fong-En. Backbone of the success was Chau Wing Sze, she accounted for Yu Hsiu-Ting (11-8, 6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8), prior to overcoming Chien Tung-Chuan (11-7, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7) in the vital fifth match of the engagement.
Full distance final
No great moments of anguish for Kaho Akae, Haruna Ojio and Sakura Yokoi; for Miwa Harimoto and Sachi Aoki, life was somewhat different. Following a 3-0 semi-final success in opposition to Hong Kong’s Wong Hoi Ting and Phoebe Hui Wai, the full five matches were required to overcome Korea Republic’s Kim Nayeong and Lee Yeonhui.
Star of the show was Miwa Harimoto, she beat both Kim Nayeong (10-12, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8) and Lee Yeonhui (6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-8); the heroine was Sachi Aoki, in the concluding match of the fixture, she accounted for Lee Yeonhui (11-5, 5-11, 10-12, 14-12, 11-7). Earlier at the semi-final stage Kim Nayeong and Lee Yeonhui had recorded a 3-0 win against Hong Kong’s Wong Hoi Ting and Phoebe Hui Wai.
Testing times for Singapore
Hard fought success for Miwa Harimoto and Sachi Aoki, it was even harder for Singapore. Pang Yew En Koen, Josh Chua Shao Han and Shi Kexun on duty, a 3-2 semi-final win was recorded against Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yan-Cheng, Tai Ming-Wei and Li Hsin-Yu, before in the final, with Lim Dao Yi replacing Shi Kexun, the same margin of success was secured in opposition to India’s Raegen Alburquerque, Akash Pal and Anukram Jain.
However, in the final, after the opening two matches, Singaporean hopes were not high. Pang Yew En Koen lost to Raegan Alburquerque (11-5, 11-6, 6-11, 4-11, 11-7), before Josh Chua Shao Han experienced the same fate at the hands of Akash Pal (11-4, 11-5, 11-7). In some trouble, Lim Dao Yi came to the rescue, he accounted for Anukram Jain (8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-8, 11-1), before Josh Chua Shao Han defeated Raegan Alburquerque (11-8, 11-8, 11-9) and Pang Yew En Koen sealed the victory (6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 9-11, 11-4).
One round earlier at the semi-final stage the Indian trio had beaten the combination formed by Thailand’s Yanapong Panagitgun and Porapat Thanmathikom in partnership with Iran’s Amin Ahmadian.
Staving off recovery
A full distance junior boys’ team final, in which the eventual winners mounted a recovery to win in five matches, in the cadet boys’ team competition for Navid Shams and Yu Nok, when facing Chinese Taipei’s Chuang Chia-Chuan and Kao Cheng-Jui, it was staving off a recovery.
Navid Shams beat Chuang Chia-Chuan (11-9, 6-11, 15-13, 11-3), Yu Nok overcame Kao Cheng-Jui (11-3, 12-10, 11-7). It was the stage at which the Chinese Taipei fightback began. Chuang Chia-Chuan and Kao Cheng-Jui combined to win the doubles (3-11, 11-7, 5-11, 12-10, 11-6), Kao Cheng-Jui overcame Navid Shams (11-7, 11-9, 11-1). The contest in the balance, Yu Nok returned to the table, he kept mind, body and soul together to seal the victory; in four games he overcame Chuang Chia-Chuan (11-7, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7).
One round earlier at the semi-final stage Navid Shams and Yo Nok had beaten India’s Vishwa Deenadayalana and Payas Jain; Chuang Chia-Chuan and Kao Cheng-Jui had ended the hopes of Hong Kong’s Yiu Kwan To and Baldwin Chan Ho Wah. Notably both contests were resolved by the 3-1 margin.
Team events concluded, attention now turns to the individual competitions.
