WEI XIANG CLAIMS NATIONAL U-21 CHAMPIONSHIP MEN'S SINGLES TITLE

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- National junior men’s singles player Kong Wei Xiang enjoyed a morale booster ahead of next month’s 2026 Badminton Asia Team Championship (BATC) after winning the the 2026 National Under-21 (U-21) Championships singles title in Ipoh, today.

The 17-year-old, who beat teammate Muhammad Haziq Mohd Najib 15-13, 16-14 at the Perak Badminton Academy, singled out his physical fitness as the deciding factor in his victory, as he focused on maintaining a high tempo throughout the match and trusted his endurance to give him the edge as the rallies progressed.

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to represent the team at (BATC). I will prepare my best, focusing on strengthening all aspects of my game, to expedite my growth and reach the highest level I possibly can in the tournament,” he said in a statement shared by the Badminton Association of Malaysia today.

According to the 2026 BATC singles line-up released by BAM previously, Wei Xiang will be joined by Justin Hoh, Eogene Ewe and professional player Aidil Sholeh Ali Sadikin to compete in Qingdao, China from Feb 3 to 8.

Meanwhile Oo Shan Zi, 19, upset top seed and defending champion Lim Zhi Shin to win the women’s singles title with a 16-14, 15-4 victory.

Other results:

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Men's doubles:

Muhammad Shazmir Irfan Shahrul-Damien Ling Tang Le bt Daniel Tan Ying Enn-Yusuf Daneel Luqman Hakim 15-8, 15-12

Women’s doubles:  

 Lee Yu Shan-Wong Zi Yi bt Genevie Lim Tsin Yeen-Wafa Shahmina Rahman 15-7, 15-11

Mixed doubles: 

Low Han Chen-Chan Wen Tse bt Loh Ziheng-Nicole Tan Pei En 15-11, 15-11

-- BERNAMA