Sabah shuttler Arena won’t be leading the charge
Published on: Wednesday, November 06, 2019
By: GL Oh
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s top women shuttler Arena Satu Samin (pic) will not spearhead the State’s challenge at the 100Plus National Interstate Under-12 & 16 Team Championships to be held at Penang Badminton Association Hall in Bukit Dumbar, Penang from November 27-December 1.
The 16-year-old, who had helped the State to a runner-up finish in last year’s tournament where they lost 1-2 to Penang in the Under-16 final with the only point delivered by her in the opening singles, is not among the 18 names released by Sabah Badminton Association for the six-day competition.
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Instead, the Kota Belud lass who represented Malaysia in the World Junior Championships in Kazan, Russia last month has opted to concentrate on the Celcom Axiata National Under-21 (2nd leg) Championship in Ipoh, next month.
She did not take part in the first leg held in Terengganu in March but she did play in the Sabah leg last year and finished as runner-up following a hard fought three-set loss to top seed Eoon Qi Xuan of Perak in the final.
With her absence, the girls Under-16 team this year will be hoping Goh Shuen Tong and Velerry Yap who played in the doubles last year can deliver the goods with Sharylyn Vivian George and Cassie Ryan Rompog as their teammates.
Meanwhile, there are all new faces in the boys’ Under-16 team with Haikal Hashim, Ferdinan Ramno, Daniel Edry Elvestly, Quinton Yap Rung En and Muhd Khairul Syafiq Mualasan, and it will be tough for them to repeat their runners-up achievement last year where they lost 0-2 to Penang in the final.
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In the Under-12 events, the girls team who claimed a third place finish last year also have new names in Jola Lim Zi Yu, Saidatul Saadiah Muhammad, Nursyafiqah Abdullah and Cristy Cassandra Fabian, while the boys team will be represented by Anderson Kenneth, Datuk Anif Issac Datu Asrah, Hymns Isaiah Shim, Fung Jia Dau and Voo Jun Yu.
The team is set to leave on November 26 will be led by team manager Androw Celyron with Timy Foo and Malik Zainal as team coaches.