JUNIORS SET TO RUMBLE ALL WEEK AS THE 2023 JOHOR CLOSED BADMINTON CHAMPIONSHIP KICKS OFF IN STYLE

PONTIAN (5 January): The 2023 Johor Closed Badminton Championship kicked off in style, with young shuttlers eager to put their skills to the test on the opening day of the tournament.

The 11th edition, which runs until Sunday, will showcase a dazzling array of young talent as players compete for a chance to represent Johor at the national level.

Johor Badminton Association (JBA) President Mat Rashid Jahlil, who was at the venue, was satisfied with the turnout on the opening day and thanked everyone involved.

He said, "With the blessing of Almighty God, we're pleased to see such large crowds at our event, and JBA would like to take this opportunity to thank all the organisers for showing their utmost commitment to raising the scale of this tournament."

He added, "We at JBA will ensure that the Johor Closed Badminton Championship continues for years to come. JBA also aims to spread our wings in next year's edition by establishing a new premier tournament, the Johor Open Badminton Championship, with more international and local participants."

In the Under-14 boys' singles, underdog Yew Jun Cheng from the Johor Bahru-based AIM Badminton Academy pulled out all the stops to defeat favourite Choo Zeng Feng from Albert Sports 21-7, 21-6.

Yew Jun Cheng made short work of his opponent in the opening game, outclassing him 21-7 in a match that kept everyone at the venue on their toes.

Choo Zeng Feng started the second game strongly, racing to a 6-0 lead. However, the energetic Jun Cheng kept his cool and powered into the next round by sealing a comfortable 21-6 victory.

Jun Cheng's coach, Soong Fie Cho, a former Malaysian women's doubles player, was delighted with her player's performance and commended him for giving his best. She said, "Jun Cheng has been training hard for the past couple of weeks and I am proud of his performance today."

The coach, who won gold at the 2015 SEA Games in Singapore, added, "I believe he will continue to give his very best and maintain his momentum in the next stage of the tournament."

The 11th edition of the Johor Closed Badminton Championship features more than 600 players competing in five age categories: Under-21, Under-16, Under-14, Under-12 and Under-10.

The competition runs from 5 to 8 January at DBC Sport Arena, Pontian, Johor.