The first three sessions of the mixed team event of BNI Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2023 were filled with clean sweeps of 5-0. In the afternoon session of day 2, some bursts finally happened.
Bangladesh, through men’s singles player SSM Sifat Ullah, made sure they didn't get to the end of their journey in the mixed team event with empty hands. In a match against Hong Kong China, Ullah defeated Yung King To 12-21, 21-16, 21-19.
Another team that rose toward the end of day 2 was Philippines who won 2 points over Singapore in the last two matches. Philippines women’s doubles pair Hernandez Andrea Princess/Precious Dianne Libaton beat Xiao En Heng/Yi Ting Elsa Lai 21-17, 10-21, 21-15. Philippines’s victory then continued in the men’s doubles, where Mark Anthony Bernal/John Benedict Gam won over Zi Shun Nicholas Kat/Kai Ji Mark Wong in a straight game 21-18, 21-19.
Meanwhile, almost all of the top teams have secured their spot in the quarterfinals. Thailand, the defending champion, will still have to face the United Arab Emirates. In group A, one last match remains between Indonesia and China to determine the group winner.
While the burst of fight might seem insignificant compared to the sweeps done by the top teams, it represents the growth of badminton in Asia. Handled properly in good hands, the small victories have a good chance to grow into bigger and steadier achievements.
