KUALA TERENGGANU: Four of Terengganu’s top players will compete with the best in Asia at the Celcom Axiata Malaysia International Youth Under-19 badminton championship in Kuala Terengganu on Sept 6-10.
Terengganu Badminton Association vice-president Datuk Harry Isaacs said that Faiz Rozain, 17, and Wan Muhammad Arif Shahurudin, 14, will play the singles while Mohd Fariz Imran-Nur Mohd Haikal and Muhammad Amar-Muhammad Amir – all 17 – will feature as the doubles pairs.
“Although our boys have yet to bag a major title, they are fast catching up with the big names and the exposure will serve them well," said Isaacs.
The four Terengganu shuttlers are part of 80 Malaysians who will compete for honours in the singles, doubles and mixed doubles for men and women.
The matches are in knockout format with the best of five games over 11 points, with a total prize money of US$15,000 (about RM60,000).
This is the first time the 11-points per set format are being tested in the country for an international tournament.
A total of 170 players are involved from Hong Kong, Indonesia, India, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and Taiwan in the tournament, to be held at the State Indoor Stadium in Batu Burok.
Indonesia is represented by 27 players, Thailand by 25 and South Korea by 15.
M. Thinash, who was runner-up for the women’s singles category last year, has been seeded second behind South Korea’s Kim Ga Eun.
Thinash will also team up with Tan Sueh Jeou in the women’s doubles.