Malaysia Strike Double Gold In Asian Junior Championships
by Howard Harding

February 2, 2015 - Malaysia produced an unexpected home double in the CIMB Foundation Asian Junior Team Squash Championships after striking gold in the biennial men's and women's events at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Success was predicted in the women's championship where the top seeds - bronze medallists in 2013 - overcame defending champions India in the semi-finals to face second seeds Hong Kong China, finalists for the fourth time in a row, in the final.

Top string Rachel Arnold put the favourites ahead - but an impressive performance by 14-year-old Hiu Lam Lui over 16-year-old Malaysian Sivasangari Subramanian saw Hong Kong draw level.

The decider was a tense see-saw affair which went the full distance. Ultimately it was 18-year-old Teh Min Jie who prevailed to beat Hong Kong's 16-year-old Ho Ka-Wing 11-8, 10-12, 4-11, 11-4, 11-9 and secure gold for Malaysia for the seventh time in the championship's history

Malaysia were underdogs in the men's final where they faced favourites and defending champions Pakistan. But 17-year-old top string Eain Yow Ng battled for five games to overcome Tayyab Aslam, eventually beating the 18-year-old Pakistani 6-11, 13-11, 11-4, 3-11, 11-7.

It was the second seeds' third string who clinched victory for Malaysia when Darren Chan beat Muhammad Asim Khan 11-8, 12-10, 11-4 to deny Pakistan a fourth title since 2003.

RESULTS: CIMB Foundation Asian Junior Team Championships, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Men's semi-finals:
[1] PAKISTAN bt [4] HONG KONG CHINA 2/0
[2] MALAYSIA bt [3] INDIA 2/1
Final:
[2] MALAYSIA bt [1] PAKISTAN 2/0
Eain Yow Ng bt Tayyab Aslam 6-11, 13-11, 11-4, 3-11, 11-7
Darren Chan bt Muhammad Asim Khan 11-8, 12-10, 11-4

Final positions: 1 Malaysia, 2 Pakistan, 3 India & Hong Kong China, 5 Iran, 6 Jordan, 7 Singapore, 8 Kuwait, 9 Japan, 10 Republic of Korea, 11 Sri Lanka, 12 Iraq, 13 Indonesia, 14 Chinese Taipei

Women's semi-finals:
[1] MALAYSIA bt [3] INDIA 2/1
[2] HONG KONG CHINA bt [4] SINGAPORE 2/0
Final:
[1] MALAYSIA bt [2] HONG KONG CHINA 2/1
Rachel Arnold bt Choi Uen Shan 11-9, 11-5, 11-9
Sivasangari Subramanian lost to Hiu Lam Lui 11-13, 5-11, 16-14, 11-13
Teh Min Jie bt Ho Ka-Wing 11-8, 10-12, 4-11, 11-4, 11-9

Final positions: 1 Malaysia, 2 Hong Kong China, 3 India & Singapore, 5 Republic of Korea, 6 Sri Lanka, 7 Chinese Taipei