Will Muhammad Faiq Write History?
Muhammad Faiq must have extra energy in the semifinals of the U-17 Asian Championship. How could it not be, the Malaysian badminton player qualified in the two events: the men's singles and men's doubles.
Moreover, it is possible that Faiq could become the champion in both categories as he is also the top seed in the two categories. On paper, he is able to defeat any opponent.
In men's singles, Faiq, a badminton player who was born on June 16, 2006, will meet his compatriot, Wei Ming, seeded 11th. Meanwhile, in the men’s doubles, Faiq, who is partnered with Lok Hong Quan, the second-seeded men's singles, will meet seventh seed Lai Po Yu/Yi-Hao Lin from Chinese Taipei. Throughout the history of the Asian U17 & U15 Junior Championships, there has never been a player winning in both singles and doubles.
In women's singles, the first seed Unnati Hooda from India is different from Muhammad Faiq. She only plays one number. Her steps have reached the semifinals where she will be challenged by unseeded badminton player Mion Yokouchi from Japan. The other semifinal brings together second seed Sarunsak Vitidsarn from Thailand and Kim Min Sun, seeded tenth from South Korea. The host's public support will be an additional weapon to win a ticket to the final.
Meanwhile, in the women's doubles, Titis Maulida Rahma/Bernadine Anindiy, the first seeds from Indonesia, will meet their own compatriots Rika Anggaini/Rasi Joase Niakhe Munajad. Interestingly, another pair also comes from Indonesia, Isyana Syahira Meida/Rinjani Kwinara Nastine, the seventh seed. They will meet Korean doubles Kim Min Ji/Kim Min Su. Titis Maulida Rahma also successfully qualified for the mixed doubles semi-finals. Partnered with Darren Aurelius, the two will face fourth seeds Lai Po Yu/Jheng Yu Cheh from Chinese Taipei.
Apart from the U-17s, the Asian Championships in Thailand also compete for groups under the age of 15 years. The strength in this group is also evenly distributed. In men's singles, the unseeded badminton player from Chinese Chung–Hsiang Yih will meet Tankara Gnana Dattu Talasila from India who is seeded seventh. Another semifinal party brought together second seed Lee Yu-Jui from Chinese Taipei to meet Anish Danei Thoppani, the unseeded one from India.
In other numbers, the potential champions have not been stopped, namely the first seeds in women's singles, Anyapat Phichitpreechasak from Thailand, Muhammad Rizki Mubarrok/Raihan Daffa Edsel Pramono (Indonesia), and Deng Chi Fai/Liu Hoi Kiu Anna (Hongkong) in mixed doubles. (*)
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