by BERNAMA / pic credit: BAMalaysia FB

KUALA LUMPUR – What a joy it was for Malaysia as the young national badminton team checked into the semi-finals of 2021 Sudirman Cup at Vantaa, Finland, after 12 years.

It was hard-earned victory as Malaysia had endured a long battle that lasting almost six hours to subdue their arch-rivals, Indonesia, 3-2, and equalised their best performance in the mixed team championship, they did back in the 2009 edition in Guangzhou, China.

It was also Malaysia’s first success over Indonesia in Sudirman Cup after three encounters since losing in the first meeting in the group stage of the 1999 edition in Copenhagen, Denmark, which saw the neighbouring rivals thrashed the national team 4-1.

Fiery Tokyo Olympics men’s doubles bronze medallists, Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik, handed a promising start for Malaysia as they powered past world’s number one, Marcus Fernaldi Gideon-Kevin Sanjaya Sukamuljo in the first game.

In a Tokyo Olympics quarter-finals replay, Aaron-Wooi Yik who won the tie last July, were clinical throughout the game, as they brushed aside the challenge from the Indonesian duo in straight sets, 21-12, 21-15, in 33 minutes.

Despite showing glimmers of hope, 2019 SEA Games women’s singles champion, S. Kisona couldn’t hold on as world’s number 21 Gregoria Mariska Tunjung kept her nerve till the end to level the score for Indonesia.