KUALA LUMPUR: The BA of Malaysia (BAM) may have left it late but have done enough to guarantee the country one badminton gold from the Hanoi Sea Games.
On Saturday, mixed doubles duo Hoo Pang Ron-Cheah Yee See and Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei ensured Malaysia a one-two finish in the biennial Games when they checked into the final in emphatic fashion.
World No 23 Pang Ron-Yee See clawed back from a game down to see off world No 28 Adnan Maulana-Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso of Indonesia 18-21, 21-16, 21-17 in the semi-finals, while Tang Jie-Yen Wei also recovered from a first-game blemish to stun Indonesian top seeds Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari 20-22, 21-13, 21-18 at the Bac Giang Gymnasium.
The last time Malaysia won the mixed doubles gold was in 1999, also from an all Malaysian final, when Chew Choon Eng-Chor Hooi Yee defeated Rosman Razak-Norhasikin Amin in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
"It was extremely tight, but I'm very happy to have pulled through.
"It means the world to me to have helped Malaysia reach the mixed doubles final, and I know that it has been such a long time since we last won the gold medal.
"It's going to be very tight in the final tomorrow (Sunday) because we train together all the time. We know each other's game very well, so it will depend on whose day is it," said Tang Jie.
The mixed doubles gold has for the longest time remained elusive to the national camp, with Malaysia settling for silver in the last three editions through Chan Peng Soon-Goh Liu Ying (2015) and Goh Soon Huat-Shevon Lai (2017, 2019).
Meanwhile, Malaysia finished with a bronze medal in the women's doubles event, after Yee See-Cheng Su Hui crashed out in the semi-finals following a 21-16, 21-6 defeat to Thailand's Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard.
Results
(S-finals)
Men's singles: Kunlavut Vitidsarn (Tha) bt Jason Teh (Sin) 21-11, 21-12, Loh Kean Yew (Sin) bt Nguyen Tien Minh (Vie) 21-15, 10-21, 23-21.
Doubles: Leo Rolly Carnando-Daniel Marthin (Ina) bt Do Tuan Duc-Pham Hong Nam (Vie) 22-20, 21-16, Pramudya Kusumawardana-Yeremia Rambitan (Ina) bt Terry Hee-Loh Kean Hean (Sin) 15-21, 21-17, 21-19.
Women's singles: Pornpawee Chocuwong (Tha) bt Putri Kusuma Wardani (Ina) 21-16, 21-9, Phittayaporn Chaiwan (Tha) bt Gregoria Mariska Tunjung (Ina) 21-18, 21-15.
Doubles: Benyapa Aimsaard-Nuntakarn Aimsaard (Tha) bt Cheah Yee See-Cheng Su Hui (Mas) 21-16, 21-6, Apriyani Rahayu-Siti Fadia Silva Ramadhanti (Ina) bt Insyirah Khan-Bernice Lim (Sin) 21-10, 21-7.
Mixed doubles: Chen Tang Jie-Peck Yen Wei (Mas) bt Rinov Rivaldy-Pitha Haningtyas Mentari (Ina) 20-22, 21-13, 21-18, Hoo Pang Ron-Cheah Yee See (Mas) bt Adnan Maulana-Mychelle Crhystine Bandaso (Ina) 18-21, 21-16, 21-17