Early exits for Jin Wei, Letshanaa, Soon Huat-Shevon at Malaysia Masters
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's representation in the women's singles competition at the Malaysia Masters came to an early conclusion on Wednesday with both local players failing to advance past the first round.
World No. 44 Goh Jin Wei faced a challenging opponent in sixth-seeded Ratchanok Intanon, a former two-time champion of the tournament. Jin Wei struggled throughout the match, ultimately losing 21-7, 21-15 in a brief 39-minute encounter.
This defeat continues a difficult period for the 25-year-old Malaysian, who hasn't been able to progress beyond the second round in any World Tour event since her unexpected semifinal appearance at the Hong Kong Open in September 2023.
In another first-round match, Malaysia's K. Letshanaa, ranked 51st in the world, showed promising moments against China's world No. 48 player. Despite taking the second game, Letshanaa eventually succumbed 10-21, 21-19, 21-12.
The disappointing day for Malaysian badminton continued in the mixed doubles category, where Goh Soon Huat and Shevon Lai suffered their earliest World Tour elimination in six months. The world No. 3 pair and defending champions were upset by Denmark's Mads Vestergaard and Christine Busch, losing 21-18, 21-19 at Axiata Arena.
This marks the first time since the China Masters in November last year that the Malaysian duo has been eliminated in the opening round of a tournament.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Harimau Malaya to face World Cup-bound Iran, Uzbekistan in CAFA Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: Harimau Malaya will take on Iran and Uzbekistan, who have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup — their first-ever appearance in the prestigious tournament. The eight-nation event will be staged in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from Aug 26-Sept 9, pitting Malaysia against some of Asia's top teams. Malaysia's participation is being hailed as a sign of growing regional recognition and a major step up for the national team. The tournament offers coach Peter Cklamovski's men a rare opportunity to test themselves against elite opponents beyond the traditional Southeast Asian sphere, and two teams who will be playing in the 2026 World Cup. "We are proud to be participating in the CAFA Cup," said Cklamovski. "We will face tough challenges away from home and compete in a demanding environment against strong opponents. "These experiences will test us in many ways, both on and off the field, and will be vital for the continued development of our national team. "This tournament is another important opportunity for Harimau Malaya to make the nation proud, to excite our fans, and to continue building the unity that Malaysian football aspires to." As reported by Timesport last week, Malaysia were among the teams invited to the CAFA Cup. Afghanistan, Oman, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are also expected to feature, although official confirmation of all participants is still pending. Malaysia's inclusion in a tournament usually limited to Central Asian nations is seen as the fruit of strong diplomatic and football ties, and a reflection of the growing ambition under Cklamovski to lift the team's international profile. The national team currently lead their group in the Asian Cup qualifiers after convincing wins over Nepal (2-0) and Vietnam (4-0). Iran and Uzbekistan have already booked their places in the 2026 World Cup, along with Japan, South Korea, Australia and Jordan.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Karim vows to defend Malaysian athletes
KUALA LUMPUR: "Do not live in fear, I will defend you." That is newly elected Malaysian Athletics (MA) president Datuk Karim Ibrahim's message to national athletes. The dramatic response from Karim came amid ongoing tension within the national set-up, and after several top athletes voiced their concerns about coaching structures and a lack of support. Recently, national discus thrower Irfan Shamsuddin revealed he had received threats after making statements thanking several individuals following his bronze success at the Asian Championships. Several national sprinters were also earlier reported to be reluctant to train under the MA programme due to poor planning and the departure of the respected Poad Kassim from the national coaching setup. However, the issue was sorted out with Poad's return. Karim, who took office on June 15, said safeguarding athletes' welfare and addressing internal disputes were among his top priorities. "To the athletes, I want to say this — do not live in fear. I will defend you," he said. "I will not abandon the athletes because they are the lifeline of Malaysian sports. "We will give international exposure to athletes who can win medals. We will not sideline anyone. "I will meet with the athletes soon... and not just athletes, but coaches too. "We do not want to leave behind any athletes who do not have a coach, like what happened recently to our hammer throwers." Regarding the Thailand Sea Games in December, Karim said it was too early to announce medal targets, emphasising the need for proper evaluation and planning.
New Straits Times
an hour ago
- New Straits Times
Athletic Bilbao star Jauregizar denies Malaysia link, calls it 'a lie'
KUALA LUMPUR: Athletic Bilbao midfielder Mikel Jauregizar has rubbished talk of representing Harimau Malaya, branding the rumour "a lie". In an interview with Spanish daily Marca, the 20-year-old made it crystal clear he has no links to Malaysia, despite growing speculation online. "People just make things up. A link to Malaysia? Impossible, that's a lie. I will not be playing for Malaysia," said Jauregizar. Claims that the young Spaniard had Malaysian heritage recently caught fire on social media, fuelling hopes among local fans of a potential naturalised star. A video by a local journalist suggesting such ties went viral and even found its way to Jauregizar through friends. "My friends sent me a video of a journalist from over there who made up that I had some Malaysian background," he said. "I'm not going to play for Malaysia. People invent all sorts of things." Asked about his online habits, Jauregizar admitted he's active on social media but prefers to stay out of the spotlight. "I don't really like being in front of the camera answering questions. But everything that gets published eventually reaches us." Jauregizar is the second European-based player in recent weeks to shoot down claims of Malaysian roots. Dutch striker Ferdy Druijf also dismissed suggestions he had Malaysian blood via his grandmother. Speaking to ESPN Netherlands, the former AZ Alkmaar forward — now playing in Slovakia — said the rumour began on a random Instagram account. "Yes, it's actually kind of crazy, I have to be honest. An Instagram account suddenly appeared with that rumour about Malaysian roots," said Druijf. "I didn't do anything about it, but everyone started spreading it. I even got more followers on Instagram and realised what was going on. It's a crazy reason. "My parents don't even know much about it. So yeah, maybe it would only be revealed if I did a DNA test or something."
