
Nanchang: Malaysia’s badminton legend, Lee Chong Wei praised the boy’s doubles pair Aaron Tai/Kang Khai Xing for making Malaysia proud after they won the 2024 World Junior Badminton Championships (WJC) in Nanchang, China on Sunday. This was also Malaysia’s first men’s junior doubles world championships title after 13 years.
Lee Chong Wei, 41, expressed his admiration via his official Facebook page, saying the sensational pair’s performance brought back memories of his younger days.
“Your dedication and perseverance have paid off, and the future of Malaysian badminton looks brighter than ever with talents like you two!”
“Remember, this is just the beginning. Keep pushing, strive for excellence, and never stop believing in yourself. The world is watching, and trust me, you have what it takes to conquer it,” Lee said.
The tournament’s top-seeded duo were crowned the new champions after a thrilling final that lasted 65 minutes against the second-seeded home pair, Hu Ke Yuan/Lin Xiang Yi, 21-18, 15-21, 21-18, at the Nanchang International Sports Center.
The last time Malaysia won the junior doubles title was in 2011 through Nelson Heng-Teo Ee Yi.
Aaron Tai described the achievement of joining the “elite” list of world junior champions as a dream come true, especially after falling short in last year’s final.
The victory also saw the Malaysian national anthem, “Negaraku,” proudly played at the Nanchang International Sports Center, soothing the disappointment after Malaysia’s women’s doubles pair, Low Zi Yu-Dania Sofea Zaidi, lost in the earlier final.
“I am extremely happy, and I just want to return to Malaysia, enjoy the food, and see my family.”
“This was my second attempt, so it feels like a dream come true,” said Aaron Tai from Melaka in an interview with BWF.
Commenting on their performance, Kang Khai Xing admitted that their play was a bit shaky, especially after losing the second set.
“We slowed down a bit in the second set and tried to recover in the third.”
“In the deciding set, we just focused point by point and tried not to give up,” said Kang Khai Xing from Kelantan.
Here are other results of the 2024 World Junior Badminton Championships:
XD: Lin Xiang Yi/Liu Yuan Yuan bt Lai Po Yu/Liang Ching Sun 21-18, 21-14
MS: Hu Zhe An bt Wang Zi Jun 21-15, 21-18
WS: Xu Wen Jing bt Yin Yi Qing 19-21, 23-21, 21-11
WD: Ririna Hiramoto/Aya Tamaki bt Low Zi Yu/Dania Sofea 21-17, 21-17