PETALING JAYA: National junior head coach Jeffer Rosobin believes the junior shuttlers have adapted well to the new scoring system in the World Junior Championships mixed team event.
Yesterday, the team led by Asian Junior silver medallists Aaron Tai-Kang Khai Xing booked their spot in the quarter-finals by easily beating Holland 110-53 in their last Group C match in Nanchang, China.
Malaysia had also secured wins over Mongolia, Norway and Estonia in their other group matches.
While Malaysia were expected to beat all the teams in what was a favourable group, Jeffer was still pleased with his charges’ performance so far as they had to get used to the new scoring 11-point system which was being implemented for the first time in the competition.
“Our players are getting better and better each day in this new scoring system,” said Jeffer.
“They are now getting used to this new format and I hope they can continue performing well in the knockout stages.’’
Malaysia will likely face the winners of Group D, Denmark, in the last eight today and have a good chance to reach the semi-finals.
In the last edition in the United States, the team made it to the last four and won bronze after going down 0-3 to eventual champions China.
It was the same in the Asian Junior Championships in July when the team won bronze after losing 1-3 to China in the semi-finals in Yogyakarta.
Malaysia have won the mixed team title only once, in the 2011 edition in Taiwan.
RESULTS
Group C: Malaysia bt Holland 110-53 (Dania Sofea-Carmen Ting bt Sterre Bang-Mandy Duijndam 11-2; Mohd Faiq Masawi bt Mats Duwel 22-11; AaronTai-Kang Khai Xing bt Casper Spaans-Joep Strooper 33-16; Ong XinYee bt Inger Pothuizen 44-22; Kang Khai Xing-Dania Sofea bt Joep Strooper-Sterre Bang 55-28; OngXinYee- CarmenTing bt Sterre Bang-Inger Pothuizen 66-29; Sng Wei Ming bt Dion Hoegen 77-35; Mohd Faiq Masawi-Lok Hong Quan bt Casper Spaans-Joel Strooper 88-40; Oo Shanzi bt Flora Wang 99-42; Datu Anif Isaac-Nuraqilah Maisarah Ramdan bt Casper Spaans-Inger Pothuizen 110-53); Estonia bt Norway 110-78
