The 11th edition of the Association of the Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers (Bakti) Badminton Junior Open Championship came to an exciting conclusion in Kuala Lumpur, with over 1,000 participants from across the country.
The event was organized by Bakti in collaboration with the Kuala Lumpur Sports School Council and Kuala Lumpur Education Department, and featured 24 competitive categories showcasing the talents of young badminton players aged seven to 16, aiming to discover new badminton talent among students and provide a platform for Bakti’s Tunas Juara trainees to experience real competition.
The championship took place from Dec 16 to 19, and has been an annual event since 2006, according to event organizers.
The closing ceremony in Sports Arena Sentosa was attended by Bakti Welfare chairman Toh Puan Dr Aishah Ong, along with other distinguished guests including Badminton Association Malaysia coach director Rexy Mainaky, Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association president Datuk Seri Dr Jahaberdeen Mohamed Yunoos, and Bakti treasurer Datin Seri Jessica Lim.
During the closing ceremony, the audience was treated to an intense match between the winner and first runner-up of the 12-year old Men’s Double category – Derrick Leung Jin Wen and Muhammad Noor Hanafi against Zhen Hao Yeoh and Zhen Hing Yeoh, respectively.
Rexy Mainaky expressed confidence in the Men’s and Women’s Double pairs, Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik, and Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, stating that he believed they would compete in the Olympic Games in Paris, France next year.
He also added that both pairs are strong candidates for Malaysia to win its first gold medal in the 2024 Olympics.
